Comments on: 5 questions to ask before starting any technology project http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/5-questions-to-ask-before-starting-any-technology-project/ Advance Your Business Analysis Career Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:08:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Richard Lynn Paul http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/5-questions-to-ask-before-starting-any-technology-project/comment-page-1/#comment-499 Richard Lynn Paul Tue, 05 May 2009 20:27:03 +0000 http://clearspringanalysis.wordpress.com/?p=112#comment-499 By coincidence I just finished chapter one of "Are Your Lights On?: How to Figure Out What the Problem Really Is" by Donald C. Gause and Gerald Weinberg. And the main point I got was the question, "Who's problem is it?" Defining this changes the list of possible solutions. By coincidence I just finished chapter one of “Are Your Lights On?: How to Figure Out What the Problem Really Is” by Donald C. Gause and Gerald Weinberg. And the main point I got was the question, “Who’s problem is it?” Defining this changes the list of possible solutions.

]]> By: Susan Penny Brown http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/5-questions-to-ask-before-starting-any-technology-project/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Susan Penny Brown Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:02:21 +0000 http://clearspringanalysis.wordpress.com/?p=112#comment-8 I remember taking my tech lead out to visit a very disgruntled client who told us, "Every time I finish doing "Y", I just want to push a button that does "A", "B" and "C". My tech lead thought for a moment, looked at the client and said, "What if I made A, B and C happen every time after Y and you never had to push a button?" This happened at least 25 years ago, but I still remember it was the day I realized the tendancy to express a solution rather than the true problem. Susan Penny Brown Interim Technical Management, Inc. 303-889-9797 interimtech@comcast.net Strategic Planning * Best Practices Vendor Assessments * Process Alignment I remember taking my tech lead out to visit a very disgruntled client who told us, “Every time I finish doing “Y”, I just want to push a button that does “A”, “B” and “C”. My tech lead thought for a moment, looked at the client and said, “What if I made A, B and C happen every time after Y and you never had to push a button?”

This happened at least 25 years ago, but I still remember it was the day I realized the tendancy to express a solution rather than the true problem.

Susan Penny Brown
Interim Technical Management, Inc.
303-889-9797
interimtech@comcast.net
Strategic Planning * Best Practices
Vendor Assessments * Process Alignment

]]> By: Gerald M. Weinberg http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/5-questions-to-ask-before-starting-any-technology-project/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Gerald M. Weinberg Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:31:29 +0000 http://clearspringanalysis.wordpress.com/?p=112#comment-9 Laura, nice job. If we could just get people to recognize the difference between a problem statement and a solution idea, half our problems would disappear overnight. And thanks for the plug for <a href="http://www.geraldmweinberg.com/Site/AYLO.html" rel="nofollow">Are Your Lights On?</a> Laura, nice job. If we could just get people to recognize the difference between a problem statement and a solution idea, half our problems would disappear overnight.

And thanks for the plug for Are Your Lights On?

]]> By: Laura Brandau http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/5-questions-to-ask-before-starting-any-technology-project/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Laura Brandau Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:18:51 +0000 http://clearspringanalysis.wordpress.com/?p=112#comment-10 Thanks PM Hut for your comment! As I see it, an opportunity exists because someone has a problem...their problem, your opportunity to solve it. I would say that the opportunity to "build a new PM Tool" is really a solution and would ask "what problem are you trying to solve by building such a tool"? I can't answer that question for you, but I can suppose some potential answers: 1) You want something that's easier to use than Microsoft Project; 2) You want to help project managers be more effective; 3) You want to help project managers allocate resources....and on and on. Thanks PM Hut for your comment!

As I see it, an opportunity exists because someone has a problem…their problem, your opportunity to solve it.

I would say that the opportunity to “build a new PM Tool” is really a solution and would ask “what problem are you trying to solve by building such a tool”? I can’t answer that question for you, but I can suppose some potential answers: 1) You want something that’s easier to use than Microsoft Project; 2) You want to help project managers be more effective; 3) You want to help project managers allocate resources….and on and on.

]]> By: PM Hut http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/5-questions-to-ask-before-starting-any-technology-project/comment-page-1/#comment-11 PM Hut Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:11:20 +0000 http://clearspringanalysis.wordpress.com/?p=112#comment-11 The difference between defining the Problem and defining the Solution can be very thin especially if it's an opportunity (eg. I want to build a new PM Tool). What's the problem here? (for some reason I can relate to R&D projects). Additionally, the 3rd question can probably be merged into the first 2. The difference between defining the Problem and defining the Solution can be very thin especially if it’s an opportunity (eg. I want to build a new PM Tool). What’s the problem here? (for some reason I can relate to R&D projects).

Additionally, the 3rd question can probably be merged into the first 2.

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