1. Project Ideation
Agile Down-to-Earth © 2016

2. Why Ideation? Mapping to the Solutions Delivery Governance model
Addressing opportunities to…
Maximize the value of limited IT resources (example – Architects)
Assure significant business participation
Align business and IT strategies
Drive the right mix of project
Efficient use of key project design / estimation resources
Drive timely delivery of high-quality technology solution ‘chunks’
Focus Areas / *
Governance Pillars 1
Portfolio Planning & Management
How do we ensure better alignment between business, technology and corporate strategy?
What variables or goals determine a) the right mix of projects that will maximize overall return, and b) project priority? 2
Solution Delivery Management
What processes and frameworks are needed to ensure timely delivery of high quality technology solutions?
How can we improve the efficiency and accuracy of the project estimate process? 3
Resource Management
How could we deploy our resources and structure to drive business value?
How do we ensure resources are allocated optimally across projects?
* from Solutions Delivery Governance Framework_91415_v7.pptx

3. Value filters – Ideate only on approved ideas
Idea filter
Value filters – Ideate only on approved ideas
Business / Process
Strategy
Ideation is done on our most valuable Ideas
IDEA
Technical / Architectural
Strategy
Idea “Champion” provides high-level business case for approval.
IT Project Approval board combines the views of business leads with IT leads to prioritize ideas
Idea Approval
Ideation clarifies the Value, Impact, and Design of the Project before entering the execution process
Ideation controls the flow of new projects to the Delivery organization
Ideation
Project filter
Execution is done on our most valuable Projects
Project
Demand Management
Ideation provides more clarity on next project phase
Execution organization resources the project with traditional portfolio & demand management

4. Ideation artifacts (some artifacts only as applicable for project type) What must be delivered from Ideation?
Business Case
Vision
Risk
Value
Change
Problem
Why Now?
Business Risk
BVR or similar
Product Roadmap
Opportunity
Objective
Business Impact
Projected Cost
People / Process Impact
Solution Design
Architecture
Flow
User Experience
Other
Solution Architecture
Context Diagram
High-level UI
Licensing Cost
Data Architecture
Data Flow Diagram Hi- level Database Schema
Storyboards Personas
Alternatives / POC
Phase 1..n Requirements / Scope
Deliverables
Plan
Resources
Stakeholders
Epics / Features / Stories Out-of-Scope
Project Timeline
Staffing Plan
Key Stakeholders
Assumptions & Dependencies
= Business
= IT & Business
= IT

5. Assumptions (Ideal State)
The ‘idea’ comes from a business strategy driven evaluation
Ideation is time-boxed – resources are committed for a fixed time (based on project size)
Phase 2+ of a project must still go for ‘Ideation approval’ even if phase 1 went through Ideation approval
Project level Ideation is to be completed before any external funding is requested (unless POC required for Ideation)
Ideation is staffed by internal resources – who become experts at it
Ideation is begun only when all internal staff resources are available (Ideation requests must be prioritized)
Project level Ideation is completed before Delivery team is engaged (except DM and delivery SME’s)
The team is highly committed to Ideation and stays focused until it is complete –Ideation is as brief as possible
Ideation
Funding / Approval
Execution
+ External resources

6. Ideation Responsibilities by Role
Business Champion (Idea Champion)
Business Case (Problem/Opportunity/Objective); Why Now?; BVR; Business Risk; Business Impact
Product Manager / Product Owner
Product Roadmap; Why now?; People / Process Impact; Key stakeholders;
Solution Architect
Solution Architecture; Data Architecture; Context diagram; Data flow; Technical risk; Alternative solutions; POC recommendations; Licensing costs
Process Architect
People / Process impact; Business risk; Business impact
User Experience Architect (as needed)
Personas; Storyboards; high-level UI
Business Analyst
Epics / Features / High level User stories; Assumptions & dependencies; continues onto execution team
Idea Project Manager / Delivery Manager
Project timeline; Projected costs; Staffing plan; Assumptions & dependencies; PM/DM continue onto execution team
Product SMEs (as appropriate)
People impact; Business impact; Business risk
Platform / Technical SMEs (as appropriate)
Technical risk; Alternative solutions; Licensing costs; POC recommendations

7. Open Questions… Does every project need to go through Ideation?
Infrastructure changes?
IT Process changes?
Is Ideation the same for phase 2..n?
Yes – all deliverables are the same, but some may simply come from a prior phase ideation
How do we fund POCs or external resources that need to be added to Ideation?

8. Appendix

9. Project Phase Ideation vs. Opportunity/Feasibility approach
Before:
Feasibility
Vision documents and project vision is gathered for initial funding approval
Feasibility includes complete project vision, full solution design, and complete user story details to 80% including sizing and prioritizing stories – external resources are often required
Funding is for Feasibility or phase 1 per governing board
(Optional) If funding was only for Feasibility, execution is funded now
Execution (Risk / Value)
Oppty
Funding
Risk Phase Funding
Ideation
Now:
Ideation team completes the full vision, design, project plan, high-level user stories, and any other details for an informed funding decision – external resources are not used
Funding / Approval is for next Phase through delivery
Execution begins with the delivery team completing all user story details to 80% including sizing and prioritizing all stories and defining the RISK scope – the entire execution team has a deeper understanding of the solution – revalidate the phase n scope
User Story elaboration
Execution (Risk / Value)
Funding
External resources for Ideation (such as Vendor Platform Architect) or POC will require pre-Ideation funding
Fixed price contract impact – scope may not be locked down until after User Story elaboration

10. Project Ideation Flow – ex. New Project Request
Is a POC needed before Ideation?
Project business case is approved for Ideation
Ideation team assigned by SD & Dev Mgmt (Internal team)
Ideation kick-off meeting – reconfirm Business case Y A N
Ideation on full Project vision
Prioritize features of high- level vision
Decide on Phase 1* high-level scope
Ideation on Phase 1* scope
* or next phase
Complete Solution Design artifacts
Estimate staffing & other resources
Complete Phase 1* project plan & funding estimation
T&O project phase approval
SOW approval (as needed) for POC resources
POC
Approval to continue Ideation A

11. Ideation flow
The recommended process supports value-driven idea approval, and drives prioritized alignment to strategic and investment priority
Business Priorities
Abilities (vision & current1)
Processes (vision & current1)
Prioritization Features
Evaluate Impact / Risk
POC (where applicable)
Investment Priorities
Business Objectives
Existing Roadmap
Existing Roadmap
Available Resources
Gate 1:
Business Priority
Gate 2:
Best Solution
Gate 3:
Product ‘Chunk’
Gate 4:
Funding
Articulate Business Priorities
Develop Vision (workshops)
Evaluate Validity of Project Vision
Develop Solution Scenarios;
Select Phase scope
Review / Approve Recommended Solution Design
Finalize Project plan / get Approval
Revise and Maintain Product / Project Roadmap
Outputs:
Proposed
Vision
Impact / Risk
Assessment2
Validated
Features
Proposed
Project phase(s)
Recommended
Project
Approved
Project (phase)
Revised
Roadmap
Reference Architecture
Prioritization Criteria
Abilities, Process, and Services Framework
Solution Priorities
Existing Solutions
Existing Roadmap
Business Strategy
Investment Priorities
Business Objectives
Strategic Initiatives
1 Includes in-flight, recent, or planned efforts
2 Includes BVR analysis

12. Questions to be answered by Ideation
What is the Business Case?
What is the problem to be solved?
Why now?
What is the opportunity? What is the impact?
What are the project objectives to be met?
How does this Idea tie to corporate strategy or KPIs?
How does this fit into our process roadmap?
Who will be impacted by the project?
Key stakeholders?
Personas?
Regions?
How will they be impacted?
What is the expected business benefit?
What are the expected costs?
What is the recommended solution?
Solution architecture & design
User experience
Context diagrams
Technology impacts
Are there any alternative solutions?
What is Out of Scope?
What is the project plan?
How does this fit into the Product roadmap?
What is the phase n timeline?
What are the phase n deliverables?

13. Thank you