The Push and Pull: FRAMING PHASE
To make their vision a reality, the client enlisted DataArt’s in-house consultants: DataArt Solution Advisors (DSA). Guided by DSA’s proprietary Connect Framework, the team identified the client’s driving forces to transition from the restrictive legacy system.
The push: desire to move away from legacy platform
- The legacy software resulted in many unnecessary difficulties with:
- Managing the complexity of booking arrangements
- Financial reconciliation
- Integrating multiple third-party systems for real-time data access
- Customizing booking tool to account for client preferences
- The client’s legacy provider supplied multiple competitors, hurting their ability to differentiate themselves in the market
The pull: desire for a personal platform
- The client evolved a strong strategic vision which they desired to align with their IT systems, which would ultimately streamline business operations and raise performance ceilings
- An independent platform would be flexible, forward-looking, and designed for business agility.
Flexible and Focused: SOLUTION DESIGN PHASE
The DSA team underwent a deep engagement with the client's internal teams and end-users, balancing their insights with an understanding of existing technological constraints, and most critically, learning when and where the client’s functionality and business strategy were misaligned. Through this process, they established several functional objectives which would help further enhance the client’s platform.
The new platform would be able to:
- Decipher and consider the intricacies of travel arrangements
- Automate financial reconciliation
- Seamlessly integrate with multiple third-party services
- Provide real-time tracking, data and information to employees, customers and travelers
The result of the Solution Design phase was a strategic, outcome-focused roadmap, underpinned by the Problem Space – an evolving and prioritized backlog of the portals’ requirements crafted to maintain adaptability while staying true to the established goals.
Getting on the Right Path: ELABORATION PHASE
Having aligned on what a new platform should do, project stakeholders began detailing “the how” during the Elaboration phase. The project was divided into four crucial workstreams:
- Process establishment
- Technical requirements
- Business requirements
- User experience design
DSA members representing each workstream were responsible for regularly updating and gaining input from client stakeholders. As a part of this process, teams refined the Problem Space and created the Solution Space, a prioritized list of features – tools which helped maintain transparency, track decision-making, and, most importantly, ensure alignment between teams and with the vision.
All Aboard the Platform: PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PHASE
Having prepared a product backlog during the elaboration phase, the team could now begin development. Emphasizing clear communication, the team dynamically adapted the product roadmap and delivery plan, ensuring alignment with evolving needs and maintaining focus on the end goal.
Allegiance to the Vision
The project resulted in a bespoke platform that exceeded the client’s expectations. Thanks to the clear objectives identified during the Solution Design phase, the client’s new platform accommodates their strategic business objectives while keeping the door open to new ideas, opportunities and improvements.
DSA’s structured, yet adaptable approach–coupled with a deep understanding of the client's needs–resulted in a tailor-made solution that elevated their position in the market. The Connect Framework proved essential in navigating the complex challenges associated with this transformation, and established best practices within the client’s organization to support future innovation.
