TRADITIONAL APPROACH

Internal Customer: I‘m not sure what I want, just give me access to the data.

Project Leader: OK, let’s set up a meeting to discuss requirements, scheduling, and budget.

Product Approach

Internal Customer: I need a tool that downloads the data in this system.

Product Champion: Why?

Internal Customer: Because I need to dump it into a spreadsheet so that I can compare it with the forecast.

Product Champion: Why?

Internal Customer: Because I’m responsible for doing an actuals-to-forecast comparison every month so that managers can make decisions about inventory.

Product Champion: Then why don’t we build you something that makes the comparison for you? Also, this is similar to a problem that we started looking at in the logistics department, and if what we build here works, there might be a way to expand this to address both issues.

By continuing to ask “why,” the product champion can uncover the core issue, identify alternate approaches for solving the problem, and come up with ways that the solution can deliver value elsewhere in the organization.

A product champion doesn’t take an internal customer’s word for it that what they ask for is what they really need—any more than a physician would prescribe a medication to a patient simply because they think they need it. The remit of the product champion is to dig into the root causes of a problem and to find a solution that will resolve it. And because delivering value is their ultimate responsibility, they are accountable for keeping development efforts in line with the original strategic intent. Finally, a product champion is open to multiple paths to get to the right answer. They approach product development with the understanding that not every question needs to be resolved at the get-go. Rather, by continually iterating and adjusting, the product champion can shepherd the product towards maximum value delivery.

The problems that beset internal data solutions are not insurmountable. What companies need, however, is a different mindset and approach to developing them. Much has been learned by teams who build customerfacing applications. By taking a page from the product playbook and associated Agile methodologies—including assigning a product champion —analytics teams will be able to deliver real and sustainable value to their internal customers.