The Importance of Discovery and Definition in Software Development: Why it Matters More Than the Actual Development

When planning your project, you need to have a solid discovery phase, no matter how big or small the project dimensions. Otherwise, you may not understand what your target audience wants and may enter a marketplace with a product that no one needs.

Just like anything in life needs a good foundation; the Discovery Phase in any project will help minimize risks and clarify the vision behind the project.

Any thought or idea can become the driving force behind business innovation. Think of any appliance you use – mobile phones. It was a long-time dream to connect with people over long distances and talk to them. It first started with letters, then moved to telegrams, finally fax, and today we can video call anyone worldwide.

All these – telegrams, fax, mobile phones started with an idea. So, when you plan your software project, you need to understand who you are building it for and the problems it will help solve.

So, the discovery phase in a project is essential to any project lifecycle. It helps bridge the gap between the concept and its final realization. This is what defines success.

What is a Discovery Phase, and why do you Need it in a Project?

The discovery phase of a project is the initial step in any project development. It aims to collect all project information – Goals, vision, and scope. But why do you need a discovery phase in a project?

As per the study on the implementation of software projects, we found that, on average, large IT projects overrun their budget by 45%. But its benefits shortfall is 56% less than predicted.

How discovery phase of a project helps?

• Identify the scope and goals of the project that results in accurate estimates.
• Design concepts and decisions are made based on factual data.
• Ensure higher ROIs.
• Make sure that the overall user-oriented experience is maintained.
• Avoid making costly changes once the project moves into the advanced stage.
• Include in-house specialists in the early stages to maximize their familiarity with the product.

Skipping Discovery Phase can Lead to Following Issues

If you do not include the discovery phase of a project aspect, then it can result in the following:

1) Constant project extensions: With the lack of measurable results, the project may get delayed further and further.

2) A rise in costs: With no set goals or requirements, the project’s overall direction will keep changing and will increase costs.

3) Missing deadlines: With no real direction, the project timeline will keep extending, and the launch will continue to be postponed.

4) Does not meet expectations: If there is a misunderstanding in the initial stages, it can lead to more problems later and cause a loss in both time and money.

Integral Parts of Discovery Phase

When planning the discovery phase steps, remember that each stage has an important aspect. It should not be missed.

1) Discovery setup & preparation

Before the actual phase begins, a few items need to be implemented. This short pre-discovery phase includes:

• Identifying business goals
• Identify the main points of contact.
• Providing the manager with added information or documentation for the project. This helps keep clarity among different teams and points out any errors.
• Get a ballpark figure for the cost of the project. The main quote will be calculated in the discovery phase, but a rough estimate can help secure a budget for the full-time work of specialists.
• There is no need to include research elements in this stage, all that is added in the discovery stage.

2) Building a discovery team:

Once your pre-discovery stage is done, and all the aspects are fine-tuned; next, it is time to build a team. Generally, a team has four experts – A developer, a Business Analyst, a UI/UX designer, and a project manager.

• Developer:

  During the discovery phase of a project, the developer has to keep a watch on which aspect requires which technology. Once this is outlined, the senior tech team conducts additional research to ensure that the best technology is being used to solve any challenges the project faces.

• Business Analyst:

  With the client’s cooperation, the business analyst prepares previous cases and the project’s initial requirements. This includes the project’s main aim, who the users are, what the project hopes to achieve, what issues the project will solve, etc.

• UI/UX Designer:

  The UI/UX designer is in charge of creating user experiences that align with the project goals. This includes sections like smooth navigation, visually appealing animations, and an intuitive design. They are the people who make the complete wireframe and build prototypes to bring the vision of the project to life.

• Project Managers:  They are in charge of –

  a) Arranging and scheduling client meetings
  b) Making records of minutes of the meeting
  c) Keeping productive engagement between the product delivery team and the development team

3) Discovery phase steps:

The next aspect is the discovery phase steps that include the following:

• Identifying the stakeholders:

  The list includes product owners, end-users, administrators, developers, investors, and any other people involved in creating or using the final products.

• Identifying business goals:

  This helps determine the main business aim and the problems that need to be addressed to boost revenue.

• Defining the measurement of success:

  As a product owner, you need to have a clear vision of the complete product. That way, you can make it clear to the team what your project hopes to achieve.

• Project awareness:

  The team needs to keep in touch with people involved in the creation of the project to make sure all requirements are met.

• Keeping a check on research and documentation:

  If you have user interviews or survey results, you do not need to waste time doing discovery research. This provides the business analyst with the right papers.

• Building a user journey to identify the target audience:

  With these tools, you can achieve your objective with effective marketing strategies.

• Researching your competitors:

  Market studies help determine the pros and cons of existing products in your niche. This will help you find what you can offer to keep customers engaged.

• Review data:

  Turn previously collected information into real-time user experiences.

• Create a roadmap:

  Prepare essential documents of project deliverables.

Based on your requirement and the project discovery phase deliverables, some discovery phase steps can be reordered or omitted altogether.

4) Discovery sessions:

Another aspect of discovery phase activities is sessions between the teams. In these sessions, teams can brainstorm by:

• Examining the domain
• Exploring all business processes
• Learning about the expectation of the product and identifying gaps in the design
• Prioritizing tasks and clearing backlogs
• Generating a project roadmap that all the teams can agree upon

5) Discovery deliverables:

The project discovery phase deliverables vary according to the project size, phase, urgency, and complexity. Based on the discovery phase, you can include the following items:

• Software requirement specification:

  A document with an architectural outline describing the complete project, features, and recommended software.

• Preliminary UI/UX prototype:

  Before the actual project building starts, the UI/UX developer will create a simple representation of the future project with its core features. With the SRS, developers know how the final product will function.

• Complete roadmap with budget estimates:

  You can receive an estimate of the budget and a deadline for the project completion. The final numbers should be similar to the ones calculated in the discovery phase.

• Achieving goals:

  A proposal based on the conclusions drawn from the Delivery phase will help ensure that the project’s final goal is achieved.

Key Takeaways

Do not skip the discovery phase in your project, and keep in mind that the pre-discovery discussion is just as important. Creating a skeletal framework that others can follow will help keep the project running smoothly and faster, with fewer errors.

FAQs on Discovery and Definition of a Project