3rd April 2009
Specifications can be an absolute godsend or a complete shambles depending on which perspective they are written from. Many are purely defensive documents that are used to ring fence and protect the vendor or buyer. Most buyers don't know what they are buying, and looking for a solution, whilst vendors believe they can deliver. How is this dilemma resolved?
Lost in a crowd
Crowds have a life of their own when viewed from afar. At a traffic accident people will be attracted by the spectacle and a crowd will form around it. When the life of the crowd is analysed, it has its own characteristics that are shaped by the event that is being played out. The crowd around our accident will build from an initial core, develop, as more people are attracted to the scene and, surprisingly form into a circle around the incident. As the event comes to a conclusion, so the crowd will thin until it dissipates entirely.
Different crowds have a different behaviour, which is dictated by the event around which the crowd is forming and the intentions of the people who form the crowd.
Theft by bidding.
Whether you have visited a physical or online auction, you will have seen, or experienced the moment when a lot is sold for what seems to be more than its true value. Bidding fever is a problem that some cannot control, because, once they have placed a bid, an overbid is almost a violation of their right to the product. The under bidder feels the surprise of loss, even though they have not yet bought the lot, and it spurs them on to bid again.
Luckily, most of us learn to control this behaviour, but for some it is like a gambling addiction. There is the euphoria of winning, which is tinged with the guilt of paying over the odds.
Bidding on your business.
There are some parallels with these two analogies in business, when buying technology or software from a third party vendor. Crowd behaviour is a significant factor in the buying process. How many times have you heard the words 'best of breed', only to find that when delivered it's no better than its cheaper competitors. This is emphasised by the Open Source movement, where a number of 'no cost' products are used successfully in innovative solutions.
Major technology projects have a habit of going wrong. They often turn out to be more complex than originally anticipated, and what the customer wants starts to change as the project evolves. Two reasons for this are that the customer begins to understand the problem as the fog clears, and also the corporate culture shifts in one way or another. Key decision makers are then left as the over bidder, holding the baby.
Win-win outcomes.
This doesn't have to be the case. If you are a buyer who wants to limit the collateral damage when the balloon goes up, or a seller who wants to limit their exposure to a doomed project then a little preparation will help out.
A win-win outcome is where all of the participants in a project get something out of it. It may be that it becomes clear that the project can't achieve all of its objectives at the first attempt, so why even try.
When Barnes Wallis developed the bouncing bomb in 1942 he had a steep learning curve to overcome. His initial design was for a spherical bomb, which eventually evolved into the cylindrical example that is more familiar. It was not until he understood how to use backspin to slow the bombs progress whilst the aircraft made its escape that the project became successful.
By producing a product that met some of the projects key objectives not only was it possible to provide an interim solution, but he was also able to refine and deliver an effective solution.
Rob Wendes
Business
Technology Consulting
3rd April 2009
