Lean and minimum viable product (MVP) are two concepts that can help management consultants deal with uncertainty and ambiguity in their projects. In this article, you will learn what they are, how they can benefit you and your clients, and how to apply them in your consulting practice.
Lean is a philosophy and a methodology that focuses on delivering value to customers by eliminating waste and improving efficiency. Lean originated in the manufacturing sector, but has been adapted to various industries and domains, including consulting. Lean consulting aims to help clients solve their problems faster, cheaper, and better, by using data, experimentation, and feedback to guide decision making.
Of all the disciplines which should be flexible and customer-oriented it is LEAN. Lean = CTQ = critical to quality = finding out what the customer specification is (what they are willing to pay for) and doing EXACTLY THAT. Not more, not less. Do what is required, what is the spec? Lean is deals with uncertainty and ambiguity well = ask the customer, determine the spec, do that, get paid.
MVP stands for minimum viable product, which is a version of a product or a service that has enough features to satisfy early customers and provide feedback for future development. MVP is a core concept of lean startup, a framework that helps entrepreneurs test and validate their ideas in the market. MVP can also be applied to consulting projects, where it can help consultants deliver value to their clients quickly and iteratively, while reducing risk and uncertainty.
Lean and MVP can benefit you and your clients in several ways. First, they can help you align your goals and expectations with your clients, by focusing on the problem and the value proposition, rather than the solution and the scope. Second, they can help you reduce waste and optimize resources, by prioritizing the most important and impactful features or activities, and eliminating or postponing the ones that are not essential or validated. Third, they can help you increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, by delivering value early and often, and incorporating feedback and learning into your process.
To apply lean and MVP in your consulting practice, you need to adopt a mindset and a process that embrace uncertainty and ambiguity, and use them as opportunities for learning and improvement. Start by defining the problem and the value proposition with your client, and then identify the assumptions and hypotheses that underlie your problem and value proposition. Design and test the MVP to validate or invalidate your assumption or hypothesis, and then analyze the results of your experiments to learn from them. Based on your findings, decide whether to pivot, persevere, or stop your project. Repeat the process with the next assumption or hypothesis, until you reach a satisfactory level of validation and value delivery.
Adopting a mindset that embraces uncertainty and ambiguity is easier said than done but is most important. Without this mindset you will become fixed on outcomes rather than exploring possibilities and turning them into opportunities.
To make the most of lean and MVP consulting, it is important to communicate and collaborate with your client, be flexible and adaptable, and measure and optimize your performance. Establish a clear and regular communication channel and schedule, and involve your client in your experiments and learning process. Be prepared to change your plans, assumptions, and solutions based on the data and feedback you receive. Additionally, define and track the key metrics and indicators that reflect your goals and objectives, and use them to evaluate and improve your results and actions. Lean and MVP consulting requires a high level of flexibility and adaptability, as well as openness to new ideas and opportunities. Don't be afraid to fail and learn from your mistakes.