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WireSpring BlogProject Scope for your Interactive Kiosks and Digital Signs: Avoid Feature Creep!Author: Bill Gerba on 2004-11-04 00:37:20 I'd like to get back to some of the items remaining on WireSpring's guide to avoiding the Top 13 Deployment Mistakes, and specifically the one that I'll focus on today is:#4: Cramming Too Many Features into Version 1.0 It used to be that this was primarily a problem for interactive kiosk projects, however as more people add complex display software and interactive elements into their digital signage systems, it becomes increasingly relevant there as well. We've all heard the urban legend that 70% of technology projects fail (actually, depending on who is telling the story, it's 70% of IT projects, or 70% of computer projects, or 70% of software projects, but you get the point). Here's an article about it from InfoWorld, which is funny, because they also wrote another article about how that isn't in fact the case, but I digress... To be more specific, some large number of technology projects (but I would venture to say it also applies to projects that have nothing to do with tech as well) run into problems because their scope is never clearly defined. Project scope, as it is simply and succinctly described in Six Sigma terms, is the "defined and specific project beginning and end points. The more specific the details (what's in-scope and what's out of scope, the less a project may experience 'scope creep')." It sounds obvious, but a huge number of companies fail to adequately scope their projects before getting started with planning, sourcing, and the rest of it. That's why the very first thing that we do with new customers is to go over their project and see if there is a clear definition of its purpose, intent and limitations. Here are some of the questions that we typically ask. You'll note that while some of them are technical in nature, many have to do with the business side of things:
Finally, you might want to consider putting together a formal scope document. These often take the form of an extended outline describing all of the parts of your system, and answering at least most of the questions listed above. While not typically used as legal documents, project scope documents can be thought of as a "contract" between all of the different parties involved, and if done properly, can help to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of your organization as your network gets deployed. Comments (0)
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Leave a CommentPrevious Article: Optimize Your Digital Signage Text Size, Comprehension and Readability Next Article: New Digital Marketing Conferences and Tradeshows on the Horizon Front page of dynamic digital signage and interactive kiosks journal LEGAL STUFF: The WireSpring Blog is written by Bill Gerba but may periodically include articles by guest authors. The author of each article is clearly identified at the start of the article. The opinions expressed in each article are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official opinions of WireSpring Technologies, Inc. All blog articles are copyright © 2004-2008 William F. Gerba or the guest author, as appropriate. All content besides the actual article text, e.g. surrounding branding and informational content, is copyright © 2000-2008 WireSpring Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as provided in WireSpring's Republishing and Syndication Policy, no blog content may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without WireSpring's express written consent.
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We created this journal to help share useful info about digital signage and self-service kiosk projects. Our articles typically focus on project planning, industry research, ROI analysis, and high-profile deployments. We post new, original articles about once a week.
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Bill Gerba is CEO of WireSpring and maintains an active role in the digital signage and self-service kiosk industries. An industry advocate since 2000, Bill is the chairman of POPAI's Digital Signage Awards and a member of the group's Education and Advocacy Committees. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences (including the Digital Signage Expo) and has been featured in numerous publications. If you would like Bill to provide feedback for a story you're working on, or you want him to speak at your event, please contact us.
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