How to do business analysis with an extreme customer focus?

In my last LinkedIn Newsletter I spelled out what Modern Analysis looks like, and discussed the Do's & Don'ts, and context of the follow Modern Analysis musts:

• Customer Focus
• Facilitating Decision Making & Problem Solving
• Experiment
• Collaborate Differently
• Your Actions Matter
• Own Your Craft
• Always Be Learning
• Keeper of Responsible Decisions

In this issue, I want to deep dive into Customer Focus and how to do analysis with an extreme customer focus.

First things first! We don’t build technology, change processes, collect data, integrate with third parties or any other typical work where we do analysis, unless it is to benefit humans. These humans are usually our customers, or internal end-users of the product, system, data or process.

For decades we have focused on cost reduction, economies of scale and efficiencies in our change and technology efforts. Serving customers meant getting the lowest price and parity with the competition. For many, this is still a strong focus. For others, digital and innovation is the focus. I am sure for some you are hearing both are the focus. We have all been on the project that met the deadline, scope, and budget, but the user need was not met! What a waste of money! Often this happens when we do not put the customer first in our analysis.

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EXTREME CUSTOMER FOCUS:

DO: Work from a customer point of view, knowing all other details will follow. The customer context is the anchor!

DON'T: Work from a technical and solution anchored point of view first or as a primary focus. Your team likely has many technical professionals who are focused on this, let them focus on the technical point of view.

CONTEXT: Working from a customer point of view is the modern way of doing business analysis. When we work from a customer and user problem-solving lens with their mindset focused and anchored in making the user's experience better for the things they do that bring them to use the product, all other details will follow and fall into place.

When we work from a solution-first perspective we often miss the mark on solving the real user needs and waste time, money, and energy solving for the wrong problem without knowing it. From what lens are you working?

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CUSTOMER CENTERED ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES:

Working from a customer perspective means using customer centered techniques before system, data, and technically focused techniques. It means mapping the technical and implementation details to the customer lens.

Techniques to use a customer lens:

1. Customer Journey Mapping:  A great Design Thinking technique. Use this technique to truly understand where the customer pain is and map the change/request/requirement/idea to it! If you are new to customer journey mapping, try some practice on your own, then involve the team.  

2. Observation: Observe the user performing the task with the product/process/system and see where the user is struggling. It is often far different than you imagine simply reading or talking about the problem or solution.

3. Problem Definition:  Understanding the problem and desired outcome from an end-user or customer point of view, and facilitating a shared understanding with the team on this.  

Try this “fill in the blank” to define the problem:  

 ________a_______, is frustrated _________b______, in the situation when _____c________.

a. The user

b. The action the user is taking when using the product

c. More about the timing or trigger

So, if the user wants a new button on a screen, and after observing the user with what they are doing when they want to use this new button; we might write something like: The Customer Service Rep is frustrated, in the situation when a call is transferred and they have to ask the customer for their account number again because the transfer loses the customer data as it passes to the next CSR.  

This helps us understand that a new button may not be the best way to solve this problem.

4. Empathy Mapping: Another great Design Thinking technique to help us better understand the user, their emotions and needs. 

5. User POV Process Flow: You likely know all about process flows, a very common technique for analysts. Can you do it entirely from a user perspective?

6. User Stories - Common on agile teams, depicting user goals/actions/tasks for agile teams to work on.

7. User Story Mapping - Also common on agile teams, showing how user stories relate to one another for a product.

Want to learn more about these techniques and more!

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And so many more! 

What is your favorite customer centered thinking technique? 

Comment below!