Exploring the problem space: A guide to building the right solution

Our businesses are under compounding pressure to adapt to a market that knows more, wants more, and has more choices.

Technology has changed the traditional cost and time profile for everything we do. Competition is around every corner and it feels like “digital” means “we’re all competing with everyone, on every product, all the time”.

The lines are blurring. Banks have become mobile operators, mobile operators have become insurers, and insurers have become banks. It’s possible, and inexpensive, to launch new brands, offer new services, and engage with customers around the world. Exciting, but daunting. This pressure can quickly turn to hype or failure.

To cope, we need to mix some of our old tricks with some new tools and new thinking. We need to leverage tech with ambition and act with discipline as we plan our technology changes.

This publication shares ideas and tools for how to spend time and energy properly exploring a problem prior to committing to the solution ahead. We describe why and how to completely map out needs from every dimension in a way that results in better long-term IT investments while embracing iterative development.