Offering New Intranet Clients Choice
We have talked a lot about the fact that there are so many ways to do things in Claromentis that sometimes new clients can get confused. What kind of format should this information be in? A document or a page? Should my intranet home page list of job vacancies be a small bespoke addition, an e-forms solution or a smart object looking at dynamic data on a forum?
Intranet choice
We are learning a lot about how to approach new clients – the truth is that in certain situations it is better just to implement what we think is best – rather than distract the project team with discussions about choosing between approaches that they really don’t yet understand – after all they are not yet a client. We would spend too long training them on each approach just so they can then chose one – it is better they stay focussed on the project objectives and let us just implement the most appropriate solution based on our extensive experience.
After all they can always change it later, or on a refresh project – by that time they will really understand how the relevant applications work, and can make a much more informed decision.
This paralysis through being presented with a choice is actually the most pronounced when we are at the design stage – so not the details of how to provide the functionality at all yet – but going through a mock up process on how the intranet home page should be designed to match objectives for the project as well as reinforce the company culture through branding and embracing intranet 2.0, for example.
There are important principles at stake here. One of the most relevant is the sense of ownership that a new client gets from being involved with the process, rather than just being presented with the answer. Participating in the creative process has significant implications for the sustained interest levels from the client project team – and this is fundamental for the longevity and ROI of the project.
So it seems we are in a dilemma. We often know the answer, but we should not tell them because they will then lose the sense of ownership that is fundamental for the ongoing project success.
After reading article above, I was thinking about the same dilemma in daily life. Choice is a good, it is a form of realisation that every problem is different therefore it needs a unique solution. Choice is also signaling the maturity of product. Choice brings up an inteligence discussion about choosing the best solution to suit a particular problem.
Classic example is choosing digital camera. 12 years ago there are less than a dozen model to choose. Fast forward today, there are more than 1000 models out there and each camera manufacture has at least 100 cameras to choose. The need is pretty simply “take a photo” why do we need so many choices? Not to mention new model with more features and higher megapixels appears every month! Plus hybrid model phone+camera , camcorder+camera or camera which can also act like camcorder is now common.
I guess the dark side of choice is confussion. It’s nearly impossible for my mom just by herself making the best decission which camera to choose. I think life is complicated enough just by looking at type of eggs she can find in the supermarket floor. (When i was little there is only one type of eggs but now, free range, cage, fairtrade, organic, omega3, double yolk, local farm, medium, large, small, white, brown, I am yet to see Jamie Oliver’s branded egg)
Perhaps we have to see choices that Claromentis offers is a good thing. It shows that we understand that our client is unique and we do our best to advice the most appropriate solution for a particular problem.