Context: solution spectrum to position engagement scope
The previous post discussed the importance of identifying the right architectural context based on customers’ maturity on the platform and their requirements from the solution exercise. This helps plot customer asks along a tactical to strategic range – helping identify the solution scope and value.
To rapidly and effectively translate this into a solution model, our architects at bluepineapple leverage a template to overlay the gathered customer asks and arrive at potential approaches.

The spread of customer requirements typically results in one of three classic engagement models:
1. Discovery and Initial Architecture: this exercise is necessary to establish the overarching alignment between the scope of work identified and the business benefits expected in terms of tactical and strategic value
2. Architecture review and reset: this exercise is required in cases where the platform has evolved over a period of time and has reached a point where incremental additions do not result in commensurate strategic value, or where the business imperatives have evolved to an extent where a process and system reset may be required for achieving value
3. BAU: Managed support: this model provides for continuous innovation on the platform to address tactical issues. This could be administration or development support to keep users engaged on the platform by addressing their feedback in a timely manner.

Each of these areas on the spectrum can be templated to derive the details of each exercise rapidly. Depending on how customer needs span across tactical and strategic areas, the engagement exercise can be tailored to provide confidence boosting quick wins through to enterprise business process implementations.
At bluepineapple, we walk our customers through these architectural models to drive stronger alignment of solutions with business needs – customer stakeholders can prioritise their requirements better and work closely with our teams to maximise value from their platform investments.