Starting a project in a new company can be daunting, especially if the organization has a complex business model. Projects typically begin in intricate environments, making it crucial to quickly grasp how the company operates. To get started on the right foot, I use these fundamental business analysis methods to understand the company’s “as-is” state in less than an hour. This isn’t about gathering requirements for transformation but understanding the company’s current essence.
Online Presence Analysis: Spend a few minutes browsing the company website to grasp their history, market approach, departmental structure, and product range. Check the company’s legal information on their website or through dedicated resources like Tadviser or Societe.com. Don’t forget to look at the number of stars in Google reviews.
Document Analysis: A new project should have a project brief, project charter, or context presentation justifying your involvement. These documents usually span a few pages. At a corporate level, also check the organizational chart.
Workfloor Visits: If the production site is near the office, the PM would gain a lot by visiting it. This exposure helps you learn terminology and processes that will frequently come up during meetings, reducing potential confusion.
SWOT Analysis: While conducting a SWOT analysis might not be the PM task, reviewing an existing one is quick and insightful. Alternatively, ask senior managers for their thoughts on the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Interviews with Key Departments: Go beyond initial impressions by preparing an online form and organizing interviews with heads of key departments (e.g., Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance). Use the structured Business Model Canvas to guide your questions:
- What value does the company deliver to its customers? (Why do they buy? What problem does the company solve?)
- Who are the company’s primary customers? (Who? What kind of “Persona”?)
- How does the company reach its customers? (Through which channels?)
- How does the company make money? (Direct sales, commissions, VC?)
- What resources are critical for delivering value? (What are the necessary inputs?)
- What activities are crucial for the business? (Main steps, useful for comparing the BPM)
Business Process Modelling (BPM): BPM describes the current and desired states of corporate processes using structured diagrams. If detailed, it is a powerful tool during project initiation. At a higher level, BPM helps understand company operations. A project manager can use tools like Miro to create flow diagrams and validate them during brief interviews.
In conclusion, understanding a new environment in 1 hour is challenging, but it’s the responsibility of the Project Manager to proactively ask questions and gain a clearer vision of the project outcome.