A solution without a shared problem
Stakeholders agree on a feature or technology but hold different views of the user need, business outcome, or operational change behind it.
01 · Delivery stage
Discovery & Definition
Turn an initial request into shared problem context, prioritised outcomes, visible assumptions, and a useful starting direction.
The context
What this stage helps the team resolve.
Discovery reduces avoidable uncertainty before delivery expands. It connects the business objective, people, workflow, current systems, constraints, and evidence into a shared view of what needs to change and what remains unknown.
Competing priorities
Many valid needs are presented as equally urgent, so the first useful scope and decision criteria remain unclear.
Hidden constraints
Existing data, systems, policies, responsibilities, timelines, or dependencies emerge only after implementation has started.
What the work considers
Keep product, delivery, and ownership connected.
Activities are selected for the project's current questions and risk. A useful process is structured, but never busy for its own sake.
01
Problem and outcome framing
Describe the current condition, intended change, affected people, and evidence that would indicate useful progress.
02
Stakeholder and workflow context
Map roles, decisions, information, hand-offs, exceptions, and operational consequences around the product.
03
Existing system context
Identify useful assets, dependencies, data, integration points, ownership, and relevant technical constraints.
04
Assumptions and priorities
Separate what is known, believed, undecided, or explicitly outside the immediate scope.
Potential outputs
Leave the next decision easier to make.
Outputs are agreed around the work and may be lightweight or detailed. Their value comes from supporting action, review, and shared understanding.
- 01Shared problem and outcome statement
- 02Stakeholder, user, and workflow context
- 03Current-system and dependency map
- 04Prioritised needs, assumptions, and open questions
- 05Recommended next-stage scope and decision points
Working agreement
Make inputs, evidence, and boundaries explicit.
The stage works best when the right context is available and the team agrees how useful progress will be judged.
What we need to understand
- Business objective and reason for acting now
- People affected by the current and future workflow
- Existing research, feedback, data, and operational knowledge
- Systems, policies, dependencies, budget, and timing constraints
Evidence of useful progress
- Stakeholders can describe the same intended outcome
- Important assumptions are distinguishable from evidence
- The first scope is connected to priority and learning
- Dependencies and material open questions have owners
Important boundary
Discovery cannot guarantee a fixed answer or remove every delivery unknown. It should create enough evidence and alignment for the next decision, while keeping material uncertainty visible.
Stage rhythm
A visible path through the work.
The sequence is adapted to the engagement while preserving clear decisions, review points, and responsibilities.
Collect the context
Review the objective, people, workflow, evidence, existing systems, constraints, and questions behind the request.
Make the problem visible
Map current behaviour, pain points, dependencies, assumptions, and differing stakeholder perspectives.
Define useful progress
Agree priority outcomes, first scope, success signals, boundaries, and the questions that still require validation.
Recommend the next stage
Document options, decisions, risks, and a proportionate path into planning, design, assessment, or delivery.
Process questions
Useful details to clarify.
How long should discovery take?+
Its depth should follow the uncertainty, number of stakeholders, system complexity, and consequence of a wrong decision. The shape is agreed after an initial review.
Do we need a complete product specification?+
No. Discovery is often used because the product is not fully specified. Existing material is useful input, but it can be incomplete or provisional.
Can discovery cover an existing application?+
Yes. It can focus on a particular journey, operational problem, modernisation question, integration, or wider product direction.
What happens if stakeholders disagree?+
The disagreement is made explicit and connected to evidence, responsibilities, constraints, and decision ownership rather than being hidden inside vague requirements.
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Need help with discovery and definition?
Tell us where the work stands, what needs to change, and what is currently unclear. We can help identify a sensible next step.