How do you avoid common risks during solution evaluation and validation?

1 Define clear criteria

One of the most common risks during solution evaluation and validation is having vague, ambiguous, or conflicting criteria for measuring the solution's performance, benefits, and impacts. To avoid this risk, you need to define clear, specific, and measurable criteria that align with the stakeholder requirements, the solution scope, and the business objectives. You also need to communicate these criteria to all the relevant stakeholders and ensure their agreement and understanding.

2 Plan and conduct testing

Another common risk during solution evaluation and validation is having insufficient or ineffective testing of the solution's functionality, usability, reliability, and security. To avoid this risk, you need to plan and conduct testing activities that cover all the critical aspects of the solution, such as the user interface, the business logic, the data integrity, the integration, and the compliance. You also need to involve the end-users, the subject matter experts, and the quality assurance team in the testing process and collect their feedback and issues.

3 Monitor and control changes

A third common risk during solution evaluation and validation is having uncontrolled or unmanaged changes to the solution or its environment that can affect its performance, benefits, or impacts. To avoid this risk, you need to monitor and control changes that occur during or after the solution evaluation and validation phase, such as the changes in the stakeholder needs, the business processes, the technology, or the regulations. You also need to evaluate the impact of these changes on the solution and its criteria and implement appropriate change management processes and procedures.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?