Explore Value Stream
Overview
The value stream “Explore”, as shown in Explore Value Stream Model, is performed on the Scope Agreements developed in the Evaluate value stream. It ensures that all planned and accepted Portfolio Backlog Items are further detailed, budgeted, and sourced for Digital Products. This value stream continuously explores new features and/or future directions of a Digital Product aligned with strategic direction and business needs. It ensures that the Product Design evolves to facilitate innovation and optimize business outcomes.
Digital Product Portfolio Backlog Items for investigating a new idea, optimizing existing ideas, or retirement may be resolved by different funding, management, reporting, and contractual obligations for various types of consumers. Differences in budgeting, technology, contracts, business domains, security, or organizational/management structures will influence the portfolios required for an organization.
The Explore value stream is intended to be executed in quick cycles to validate release iterations. The Portfolio Backlog Items should include the generation of a proof-of-concept, conceptual service, or Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with the high-level architectural attributes and activities to begin gathering requirements for the build stage.
The Explore value stream stage ensures that the allocation of resources, budget, and phases for Digital Product releases remain aligned with agreed, planned, and accepted Portfolio Backlog Items and Architecture Blueprints. The primary stakeholder of this value stream is a Product Manager who approves Scope Agreements and release plans for Digital Products.
This value stream can be triggered by a changed Scope Agreement.
Key Stakeholder
The primary value stream stakeholder of the Explore value stream is the Product Manager. The Product Manager is responsible for the development and success of a Digital Product for an organization. Product Managers own the business strategy, manage the requirements, and launch features for a product. The Product Manager coordinates the work done by other functions, including: Business Relationship Manager, Architect, Strategist, Technologist, Business Owners, and DevSecOps.
Value
The outcome of the Explore value stream is an accepted and planned Product Backlog with a detailed Scope Agreement, Release Roadmap, and resource allocation. During the Explore stages, Scope Agreements are refined to include product specific details. The value is a Digital Product roadmap with allocated resources.
Cross-Value Stream Dependencies
The Explore value stream depends on:
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Evaluate:
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Delivers qualified, as accepted and planned, Portfolio Backlog Items that will be used to realize the Digital Product and refine the Architecture Blueprint(s) (all product lifecycle stages, scaling and maturing the product, as well as retracting/retirement) and necessary changes to the Enterprise Architecture and Strategic Themes according to the Architecture Roadmap Items
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Integrate:
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Provides information on the progress of the Scope Agreement during execution back to the Explore value stream to enable governance on progress and planned dependencies with other Scope Agreements
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If an agreed Scope Agreement cannot be met, the Explore value stream is responsible for changing the Scope Agreement; e.g., change the covered Portfolio Backlog Items (to include more or go for less), change the time or budget, or change the sourcing party
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Value streams that depend on the Explore value stream are:
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Evaluate:
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Improvements start with drivers, that are expected to arise from all seven value streams
All value streams will capture data to ensure that the quality of the Digital Product will meet the requirements
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Integrate:
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Will receive an approved Scope Agreement together with an agreed set of Product Backlog Items to start work on a Product Release
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The Explore value stream, as shown in Explore Value Stream Details Model, is the more comprehensive view for included scenarios and detailed value stream stages for the value stream, and will be described in detail in the following sections.
In the following sections we document the scenarios and stages of the Explore value stream:
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Scenario: Investigate a New Digital Product Idea
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Scenario: Optimize a Digital Product
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Scenario: Refine Digital Product Feasibility
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Scenario: Retire Digital Product
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Stage: Prioritize Backlog Items
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Stage: Refine Product Backlog
Explore Scenarios
The Explore value stream is applicable for the following four scenarios:
Investigate a New Digital Product Idea Scenario
The trigger for this scenario is a Scope Agreement and an initial budget allocation to invest in a new Digital Product idea or enhancement that has a strong value proposition and alignment to one or more Strategic Objectives. The outcome is validation that the new product idea has a strong value proposition, alignment to one or more Strategic Themes, and will comply with technology standards and policy. The scope incorporates Portfolio Backlog Items for testing assumptions that may include a proof-of-concept, conceptual service, or an MVP to prove that consumer needs and problems can be addressed. Results retrieved from the proof-of-concept may lead to the refinement of Portfolio Backlog Items to continue researching the new product idea, or may result in a decision to reconsider, or rethink, a decision, and the reallocation or discontinuation of further investments and resources. This scenario may only be intended to validate a hypothesis and may not include the full operationalization of a Digital Product (for example, its inclusion in the Service Offer Catalog, automation using the Operate functions, or marketing it to consumers).
Optimize a Digital Product Scenario
The trigger for this scenario is a Scope Agreement and an initial budget allocation that incorporates Portfolio Backlog Items for optimizing a Digital Product. The outcome is an enhanced Digital Product. The scope includes activities to optimize a Digital Product based on innovating new features and addressing Defects, mandates, and technical debt. The outcome is a Scope Agreement and resource allocation priority focused on Portfolio Backlog Items for implementing a release for an existing Digital Product. The scope includes the creation of an MVP/Minimum Marketable Product (MMP) release together with testing assumptions about the business model. Results retrieved from the MVP may result in a decision to continue and refine, to pivot and reallocate, or to discontinue further investments and resources. This may lead to a request to increase or decrease investment, a change to resource allocation, a change in scope, or a change in timeline. An MVP may only include quick enhancements to Digital Products, as small changes, resulting in immediate business value (time, resources, and scope).
Refine Digital Product Feasibility Scenario
The trigger for this scenario is a portfolio level Scope Agreement with a decision to invest in a new or existing product. Product planning cycles are conducted to further detail the budget, resource allocation, and feasibility for planned and accepted Portfolio Backlog Items. The outcome is a product level Scope Agreement that further details the scope and budget for a Product Design and the optimization of business outcomes. While big strategic initiatives and cross-product content are funded and governed on the portfolio level in the Evaluate value stream; smaller product investments are better managed at the product level by the Product team in the Explore value stream.
Retire Digital Product Scenario
The trigger for this scenario is a Scope Agreement and an initial budget allocation that incorporates Portfolio Backlog Items for retiring a Digital Product. The outcome is a decommissioned Digital Product. The scope includes activities to mitigate negative effects on consumers, impacts to dependencies, the re-allocation of resources, and the archival of data. Reasons for retirement may be driven based on technology debt, cost, duplication in the environment, lack of interest or use, or other valid reasons to no longer maintain a Digital Product. It is important to retire Digital Products that are no longer in use to reduce the complexity of technical environments.
Prioritize Backlog Items Stage
The purpose of the value stream stage “Prioritize Backlog Items” is to refine qualified Portfolio Backlog Items and mandates for new or existing Digital Product investment decisions. The budget allocated in the Evaluate value stream for the Product Portfolio is used to explore Digital Product ideas and determine feasibility. This should include ensuring that scoped Product Backlog Items deliver value, mitigate risks, and meet governance criteria (technology, security, reliability, supportability, etc.). The deliverables for this value stream stage are a Scope Agreement with prioritized Product Backlog Items; scope and timing refined.
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Define Digital Product Architecture Stage
The purpose of the value stream stage “Define Digital Product Architecture” is to collaborate with stakeholders to validate product viability. This should include industry research and a Business Impact Analysis (BIA). Product Portfolio funding and resource allocation may be adjusted based on findings. The deliverable for this value stream stage is a conceptual product architecture.
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Refine Product Backlog Stage
The purpose of the value stream stage “Refine Product Backlog” is to translate a Scope Agreement into smaller pieces of work that can be assigned to product level features and linked to the product backlog. This includes organizing assigned backlog items into work packages and adjusting the Scope Agreement, business case, and budget as needed. The deliverables for this value stream stage are established Architecture Roadmap Items.
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Finalize Roadmap & Scope Agreement Stage
The purpose of the value stream stage “Finalize Roadmap & Scope Agreement” is to assign work and begin to conduct planning meetings on a regular cadence. Stakeholder buy-in and agreement to the Release roadmap and outcomes must be obtained. This includes setting up tracking and reporting on progress. The deliverables for this value stream stage are an approved Architecture Roadmap and outcomes.
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