So often we start a conversation with a client who knows they have a need, but they’re not sure what the journey or end result looks like. In our world, making their unknowns, known is where we thrive.
We understand, there’s a lot of comfort in a neatly defined scope and in a perfect world that’s where we’d start. However that assumes a level of clarity that most people and organisations simply don’t have – especially when they’re at the forefront of growth and change.
We see it all the time, particularly in projects involving platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365, where the intention is clear – usually to improve process, create consistency and get better visibility. The reality is far more fluid, with different teams working in different ways, informal processes sitting alongside formal ones, and a general sense that things could be better, even if no one can quite articulate what “better” looks like yet.
Structured vs unstructured
Trying to lock every element of your vision before exploring and sharing it with others who will access, use and benefit from it often leads to something that looks well-defined but is built on assumptions (which have a habit of unravelling the moment the system starts to take shape).
This is why rigid scoping, while well-intentioned, can work against the outcome, because it creates a false sense of certainty, encourages decisions to be made too early, and ultimately results in solutions that technically meet the brief but don’t quite land in the real world – which is exactly where they actually need to perform and deliver for the people using them.
Ambiguity = creativity
In our experience, unleashing creativity often means being comfortable with ambiguity early on, because that’s where the better thinking comes from. So being deliberate about how we move from ambiguity towards something more defined, becomes based on evidence rather than assumption.
From a delivery perspective, this shifts the focus away from trying to design the perfect solution upfront, towards building something with structured flexibility. This sometimes looks like lighter structures, more configurable components, and an approach that allows the business to take ownership over time rather than relying on constant redevelopment and investment every time something changes.
Things will change, and so they should, because as soon as people start using a system, their understanding improves, their expectations shift, and new opportunities present themselves, which is exactly what you want and shows us that we’ve done our job well.
Structured flexibility @ Mojo Soup
At Mojo Soup, every engagement is underpinned by structured flexibility. In this context, that means connecting systems, integrating data, aligning the moving parts and people in a way that brings agility as well as structure.
Our vast experience of working through the dynamics as they exist in all of their messiness, enables us to build a solution that works in all the ways it needs to for all of the people who use it.
Often that means:
- Sitting in and facilitating uncomfortable conversations
- Understanding competing priorities across teams
- Recognising and managing the internal politics that shape decisions (because they always do)
- Unpacking what people need versus what they ask for; and
- Navigating the technical nuances that only become obvious once you start building.
You don’t need a perfect scope.
If you’re at the start of a project and feel like you should have everything defined before you begin, it’s worth challenging that assumption.
Having the right people in the room, the willingness to work through the detail properly, and a partner who knows how to navigate the dynamics will bring all of the results you need in a fraction of the time.
Want to talk to us about bringing structured flexibility to get your ‘too hard basket’ projects moving?
Get in touch >> info@mojosoup.com.au
