Payment predictability without a new platform

Discovery showed that the real need was predictability, and the planned platform and integration were not needed.

Situation

A payment-process initiative assumed that shorter payment cycles would require a new platform, integrated with existing enterprise systems, to automate the process end to end.

Decision

Before committing to the build, Samuel led structured discovery with the people who receive the payments and the partners involved, using design thinking to test the hypothesis. What they needed most was to know when payment would arrive. Speed mattered less.

Result

The team configured alerting already available in the existing system and improved visibility and communication. The change needed no new platform, no integration, and no custom code, and the technical scope was far smaller than the original proposal.

Principle

Discovery can reduce software scope by revealing the outcome users actually need.