Web2Print Best Practices - Part III: Project Scope
Jack Perry November 16 2009 09:07:40 PM
In order for a web2print steering committee to be able to choose the right technology, a project scope must be developed. A project scope defines business requirements in technical terms. Example: Here is a business requirement converted into a technical requirement as part of a defined project scope.Business Requirement: end users must be able to pay using credit cards.
Technical Requirement: the system must support credit card processing for Mastercard, Visa, and American Express. The authorizing gateway must only pre-authorize the card prior to production and delivery of the printed documents. Only after the documents have been shipped should the credit card be charged; controlled by a batching mechanism triggered by the creation of a 'shipped' status in the web2print system.
Where business requirements define the features of a system, technical requirements define how the feature must be delivered through specific functionality. Only by defining technical specifics can the steering committee correctly evaluate available technology solutions that can deliver such functionality.
I've seen many companies skip the process of scope development; relying on a web2print technology company to convert their business requirements into a viable scope document. There are 50 web2print solutions on the market. Although they all provide similar feature sets, most systems are vastly different under the hood. One system may be architected with very flexible template rules leading to low long-term cost of ownership. Another may have very restricted template rules resulting in the opposite. Both companies can help you to define your project scope, but it's already too late once you've engaged one of them.
Take the time to find the right technical resources and add them to your steering team. Evaluating and finding the right technology with an accurate project scope will save your company thousands in the long run.
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