Unlocking Project Success: Navigating the Discovery Phase with e2y

Step into the world of project development with e2y and discover the foundational stage that sets the tone for success: the discovery phase. In this article, we delve into the importance of this phase, showcasing how it shapes the innovative and high-quality solutions we deliver. From collaborative workshops to customised showcases, join us as we break down the key elements that make e2y’s approach unique. 

What is a discovery?

The discovery phase is the first step at the beginning of a design and development process, executed to create a mutual understanding of a client’s requirements and goals. To facilitate this, key stakeholders are highly involved in order to foster collaboration and communication. This effort of collaboration is to ensure that each step of the project contributes to the end goal of the project: to provide business value. 

Why is the discovery phase essential for e2y?

Since producing high-quality products for our clients is our main focus at e2y, the discovery phase is an essential part of how we kick off a project. Aside from understanding our client’s requirements, a vital part of any project, a discovery allows us to:

• Capture requirements in order to understand the client’s desired state. As we highly value the Agile methodology, we use Agile User Epics to describe what is to be built.
• Architect the to-be solution. This is where we design an architectural solution that meets the client’s requirements.
• Produce a delivery plan and estimate costs for development.
• Define the QA strategy for the project.
• Define the rollout and post-rollout services needed to support the product when it goes live.

How do we know what information we need from a client?

The first thing we ask of our clients is for them to provide us with a list of their requirements. This usually comes in the form of an RFI (Request For Information) from the initial sales contact. This gives us a clearer idea of what the client wants and how much of the process they understand. Not all clients will have expert knowledge of their wants and needs, so it’s essential to have a framework or system in place in order to facilitate this. As experts in ecommerce, we know the right questions to ask to aid this process. We use examples and carefully curated templates to guarantee we have all the information we need and that the client understands the process. We also make sure to define a set language and terminology that can be used throughout the project in order to avoid confusion and foster mutual understanding.

How does e2y run a discovery?

At e2y, our discovery process is designed to be collaborative, as we believe that involving as many stakeholders as possible is essential for an effective discovery phase. For this phase, our team consists of the tech lead or architect, the PM (Project Manager), the BA (Business Analyst),  and the DM (Delivery Manager). After the pre-discovery phase, we move on to planning and conducting face-to-face (or online) workshops with the key stakeholders. These workshops are structured to define specific goals. The workshops are organised into several tasks, each with a designated owner:  

• Workshop Introduction: Managed by the DM, who handles scheduling and time tracking.
• Leading Workshops: Conducted by the TA (Technical Architect) or BA, who leads discussions, conducts system demos, and moderates Q&A sessions.
• Workshop Support: Additional support is provided by the TA or BA, assisting with questions, answers, documentation, and note-taking.
• Follow-up: The follow-up is handled by any appropriate team member, ensuring that all actions and questions are addressed.
• Updating Discovery Spreadsheet: Managed by the BA, who updates relevant parts of the spreadsheet with workshop information and decisions.

Typically, the DM will be the team member to organise these workshops, in which they’ll create a timetable to ensure that all parties have participated and all topics have been covered. To keep a log of the Discovery phase as it progresses, we create a set of pages in Confluence dedicated to each workshop agenda, structured with a set of questions and answers. Throughout the workshop, if there are tasks that need to be done, we assign them to the responsible individuals. For example, if we need to gather a list of currencies within the project scope, we might involve the CFO. Depending on the DM’s preference, at the beginning of each workshop, we will briefly review the content of the previous workshop before continuing with the current workshop.

When presenting the agenda in each meeting, we guide our clients through it, discussing and capturing key elements like decisions, potential risks, and minutes. During these meetings, we navigate between the Confluence page and our showcase environment, which was created for e2y team members to showcase/demo system functionalities of SAP Commerce and Mirakl Marketplace. This enables us to provide our clients with a more immersive experience. We also have the possibility to customise the showcase based on the colour scheme/branding of the client, as well as change the content to make it more relevant for the demo at hand. 

What happens at the end of the Discovery phase?

Towards the end of Discovery, we run a final playback workshop to walk through a summary of the scope, deliverables and estimations, along with options and costs for Delivery. As part of the workshop planning and execution, each of the main deliverables should be signed off by the client, confirming that the Discovery phase has been completed to the satisfaction of the client.

The e2y Team will prepare the Discovery document and present it back to the client. The deck would typically include the following topics:

Conclusion

As we conclude our exploration of e2y’s approach, it’s evident that the discovery phase is not just a starting point, but a roadmap to success. Through collaborative workshops and tailored showcases, e2y paves the way for outstanding solutions.