Expanding the Envisioning Process

After seeing the benefits gained from the envisioning process, it is tempting to try and incorporate the process throughout an organization. However, for most organizations, envisioning requires a change in culture and in the way of doing business. We recommend that envisioning be expanded in small, incremental, and manageable steps within an organization. Over time, using not only envisioning but the entire MSF Development Process Model can significantly improve the success of any project—application development or otherwise. Some examples of starting in small, manageable steps are:

• Use envisioning principles with the people closely associated with the project chosen as the starting point for implementation of MSF and the MSF Development Process Model.
• Create a Vision Document to communicate how envisioning will be implemented and set an example for using a Vision Document as a standard communication mechanism.
• Host whiteboard and other sessions to discuss the MSF Development Process Model in general and the Envisioning Phase in particular.
• Videotape a discussion of project visions that can be shown at group meetings or delivered via an intranet using Microsoft NetShow technology.
• Design and use templates to proliferate envisioning in a consistent fashion.

Once again, the primary goal is a shared understanding of what a product should do and how to proceed with its development. By incorporating this goal into all its projects, over time an organization can provide the additional structure needed to increase the efficiency of its projects and to improve any given project's chances of success.