You're upgrading system architecture. How do you ensure stakeholder expectations align with capabilities?

You must identify existing capabilities and define the level of maturity of it. Now you have the baseline of the existing system. Interact with stakeholders to identify requirements and define gaps as per baseline. From each stakeholder you will get different priorities. Refine and prioritize functional and non-functional requirements. Discard desirable requirements and proceed with necessary ones. It gives comprehensive understanding for system redesign and upgrade. Align product vision with stakeholders requirements.

Begin by identifying all relevant stakeholders, including internal team members, executives, customers, suppliers, and regulatory authorities. Engage stakeholders early in the process to understand their needs, expectations, and concerns. Engage stakeholders early in the process to understand their needs, expectations, and concerns.

Speak the language of the stakeholders and curate the data, so it is understandable for business and technical stakeholders. Provide regular updates to stakeholders about the project's progress, timelines, and any changes in scope. Present the system architecture in a clear and graphical manner to make it easily understandable. Use visual aids to show how the system will meet organizational goals and individual expectations.

In a system upgrade, it is required to communicate clearly and effectively using business and domain standards. It might be challenging, but it's essential to adopt and learn it if you haven't already. It will help you to articulate and create business stories so customers can visualise the vision and progress of the system upgrade. General technology specific terms don't go along in stakeholders management. You should assume and communicate as a novice. As per feedback you should improve your vocabulary by mixing business and technology. It's simple and effective but difficult to do.

Defining scope is the most important aspect of an upgrade. As a customer and stakeholders assume a lot of jargon and technology promises as a game changer for business. Elaborate and define scope of the technology and system upgrade. Functional and non functional improvement after upgrading and monetary benefits over time. Scope helps us to limit the overwork and keeps control of stakeholders expectations.

Planning and timeline are helpful to break a task into smaller tasks. Step by step delivering capabilities helps to keep stakeholders in confidence. They will be well aware for the next phase. Any changes or re-prioritisation can be applied. Additional buffer in plans helps to keep customers in confidence.

Regularly monitor and evaluate the system architecture to identify any gaps, issues, or opportunities for improvement. Be prepared to adapt the architecture based on changes in stakeholder needs, expectations, or environmental factors. Communicate any changes to the system architecture clearly to stakeholders, justifying the reasons for these changes and seeking their approval and support. This helps in maintaining trust and ensuring that stakeholders are on board with the evolving project.

As the system is going through an upgrade, there is continuous maintenance of existing products and services. During the upgrade if any changes arrive it should be handled as per agreed process. During freeze avoid any changes to complete the process successfully and implementation of changes once the freeze period of migration activity is completed. These are small but very significant steps to successfully complete the upgrade.

Document the system architecture using consistent and standard formats, tools, and methods. Include relevant information such as context, rationale, decisions, assumptions, and trade-offs. Keeping documentation up-to-date and accessible ensures that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of the project’s progress and decisions.