[Oslc-communications] Who should care about OSLC? -- some Personas and User Stories

[Sean Kennedy]

I learnt a lot listening to the conversation on the call last Thursday.
Afterwards, as I reflected on it, I thought that if we had a set of
personas and user stories representing the kinds of people who should care
about OSLC, it would be easier to determine what messages we want to send,
and what channels we should use to send them.

I figure I'll get the "ball rolling" on the idea, and if other's think it
is a good idea, you'll apply your wisdom and experience to help refine
these and add more. Truly, what follows is just a beginning, and maybe not
a very good one, but I do think without this kind of background it will be
very difficult to prioritize activities and even to focus our
communications to the right people.

 Personas
      N.B.: typically personas are the result of the analysis of empirical
      data (including interviews), I don't have that detail at this point,
      so these are more a ?stick figures? supported by my personal world
      view. To start, I've created one for each stakeholder group
      identified in Outside-in software development, diving deeper in, we
      will likely find more distinct personas of each type.

  1.	Systems Integrator [Partner, though sometimes played by an End user]
      May be internal or external to the company who will use the final
      integrated system.
      Faces enormous pressure to make two (or more) disparate software
      systems work together; or even  to make systems that should work
      together, work together in a specific way that supports the company's
      processes.
      If able to influence purchases, has a strong preference to selecting
      systems that integrate ?out of the box?, or those with a well-defined
      and proven integration strategy/method.

  2.	Tool Vendor [Insider]
      Has one or more offerings in the market.
      Faces competition from other vendors, including open source software.

      Primary value to customers is in making them more efficient, more
      accurate, more productive, etc.; i.e. they need to demonstrate that
      they reduce costs for their customers ? they don't drive revenue for
      their customers.
      In sum, lowering costs is a challenge faced by both the vendor and
      its clients.
      Even if they do everything right within their own product(s), many
      sales opportunities are stillborn by the prohibitive cost of
      migrating and integrating the product into a prospective client's
      existing system.

  3.	Tool Buyer [Principal]
      Already has software being used to facilitate its current processes.
      Cannot throw current software solution away and start from scratch.
      External pressures (from its competitors, for example) may cause them
      to consider more drastic changes to its system, but incremental
      improvements are more common.
      Often stuck waiting for vendors of its current software to ?catch-up?
      with another product available in the market because the cost of
      migrating to the other product and integrating it into the existing
      solution is prohibitive.

  4.	Value-producing Worker (Tool User) [End user]
      Has experience with some existing technologies, some are used by his
      employer, other used through previously experience.
      Measured on results ? adverse to change that puts ability to deliver
      in jeopardy. (May actively resist initiatives to adopt an unknown
      software, may actively promote initiatives to adopt a previously used
      software.)
      Often has a more short-term perspective and is a resistant recipient
      of change coming from management's attempts to address broader
      business challenges.

 User Stories
  A)	As a Systems Integrator,
      I want to know that I can augment an existing system of software
      tools with a new tool that addresses a new business need, with
      minimal disruption to the operation of the existing system, before I
      begin the project,
      so that I can accurately estimate the effort and cost of integrating
      the new tool into the system and avoid unpleasant interactions with
      any stakeholders of the existing system.

  B)	As a Tool Buyer,
      I want the best tool available for my specific needs to easily
      integrate with the rest of my existing solution,
      so that I can reduce the costs/maximize the production of my IT
      organization.

  C)	As a Tool Buyer,
      I want the option to select the second best tool available for my
      specific needs because it also easily integrates with the rest of my
      existing solution,
      so that I can negotiate lower acquisition and/or maintenance costs
      from the vendor of the tool I prefer.

  D)	As a Tool Vendor,
      I want to reduces the costs of, or even eliminate the need for, a
      proof of concept before a prospective client is willing to purchase
      my product,
      so that I allocate more resources to improving my product, general
      marketing, or profit.

  E)	As a Value-producing Worker,
      I expect any new software I have to use to have an ?intuitive
      relationship? with all the software I'm already using,
      so that I can continue to ?do my job? even while I learn how to use
      the new software.




Sean Kennedy


                                                                                           
                                                                                           
                                                                                           
       Phone: 905-413-4385 (Internal:                                                      
       313-4385)                                                                           
       Email: seanpk at ca.ibm.com                                                            
       LinkedIn: seanpk                                                                    
                                                                                           





There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. -- Victor
Hugo
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