How to Get the Best Possible Results From Your POC

Help us best understand the current process. At a minimum, please provide or briefly describe the following:

• Business objective of the process, i.e. “apply for new policy”, “verify and approve appraisals”,”research grant application”, etc.
• A description or drawing of the current process flow. Visio or PowerPoint flow charts are great if possible, but if not, a brief write-up of the steps or even hand drawings are acceptable.
• Systems and software used to complete the current process, i.e. Excel, Salesforce, Google Docs,any industry-specific software, ERP systems, GL, data warehouse, public data sources, etc.
• Roles of people in the process, i.e. customer, applicant, manager, sales rep, customer service rep, etc.
• Forms and documents used in the process. Includes customer-facing and internal web forms, paper forms, letters, emails.
• Data required for the process, distinct from systems and software above. Examples include customer history, patient billing, credit report data, equipment usage, etc.
• A description of the key pain points and bottlenecks in the process, and how they impact productivity, competitiveness, profitability, etc.

Help us implement your vision of an improved process:

• Describe the ideal scenario of automation, process management, and workflows. As above, Visio or PowerPoint flow charts are great if possible, but if not, a brief write-up of the steps or even hand drawings are acceptable.
• Most business rules can be automated. Explain or show how the logic works for the most important rules.
• Provide mockups or drawings of desired screens and forms. Doesn’t have to be formal wireframes – Powerpoint mockups, Excel sheets that show layouts, screenshots of other systems that provide good examples.
• Provide sample data. For customer inputs, use cases to be tested, data that triggers rules and flows. Excel sheets, CSV files, HTML or XML, database extracts, or other formats.
• Provide complete API information and access for any third-party data services that will be used in the POC. Includes WSDL, XSD, inbound and outbound XML samples, endpoint URLs, login credentials, and support contacts.
• Show or explain any math or formulas. Can be examples in Excel or any other format that clearly shows the calculations.

Decisions Commitment:

• Two – five days dedicated resource
• Quick turnaround
• Regular status updates

Customer Commitment:

• Budget owner is engaged
• Provide good specs
• Provide feedback on path forward upon completion