This is a real work case. Although it failed in the end, I always feel that this is a case that can be shared.
In this case, we have made a lot of mistakes, but we still feel unhappy.
Self introduction
I am a "code farmer" who has worked for 5 years. Currently living in a small company in a third-tier city.
Background introduction
The company received a project introduced by a teacher from a partner university. It is another partner of the school, we are referred to as RG (for customer privacy reasons or publicity reasons, it is inconvenient to disclose the name of the customer company). They said it was going to be an app. After receiving the project, the boss made an appointment with the client and took me to interview the project.
Interview for the first time
In the afternoon of the same day, my boss and I went to the client company, and the client was very enthusiastic. I felt that their relevant departments basically participated in this meeting. I felt from the meeting that they mainly mentioned two things: the first thing is to tell us that they are now going to do a big project to transform the company, with an estimated investment of 40 million . The second thing is to tell us they're just one app away from it now ...
When the leaders heard it at the time, what they were doing was rotten in the IoT industry. There are many ready-made solutions for both software and hardware, and they could do it, so they asked me to talk to them. First, let me tell you the general situation of the projects we have done. Then ask them what do they want to do? They say that what the company is doing now wants to combine Internet+ and the current Internet. Then they mentioned some of their ideas, such as opening an online store, and then opening one-on-one video classes, but they are not very relevant to their current business. But also get used to it. After all, do you still need to help them find their needs? Then let's say let's give a process of how this software works. I said that the needs are not particularly clear, what do you want? Then I took out an outline they printed out mysteriously, and took out a paragraph: the software needs to have an integrated ERP system, PDM (product data management), CRM (customer relationship management), SCM (supply chain management) system.... .... Then say, you write us a notebook of the operation of these several systems in the form of pictures and texts. I was bewildered. What about a good app? What about making software? Do you understand what these systems are for, how to combine with your current business, and what results will be produced after combining? Then they said: "Our project is to be reported to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, but other people require so many softwares, and we don't know much about it, so we found you." At this point, the truth came out: "They want to sign up for a project, and then the technical plan won't be written!". In this case, we will talk about technical solutions, and we will talk about software when the project is reported. I had to ask again: "How do your systems integrate with your business? What kind of results do you want?" But they couldn't tell, because you were professional, so we came to you. I had no choice but to ask: "Do you want a plan to report a project, or a company that actually transforms? I said that the results of the two treatments are different." Their attitude is: "Our company is also doing this thing, not to report a project, we want to do this thing for a long time." The leader came out and said, "Let's go back to discuss the feasibility and tell you the cost of the book." The leader of RG company also said that our time is relatively tight, nearly 20 days. We are even more helpless.
Team consultation
After the RG company came out, I briefly bumped into the boss on the way to the company. The whole core point of RG is: 1. They say that they want to do this for a long time, but they have not figured out how to cut in, and they have no clue at all. 2. Their top priority is to apply for this project and get government support to do this project. The core points for the company are: 1. We can cultivate a transformation team through this (the company originally planned to do some consulting services to write books, but it has always been a small matter) 2. If possible, we can get follow-up software cooperation rights.
The next day we convened the team to negotiate the matter. We first looked at the requirements for the entire project declaration, and then looked at their existing products and what they did. Finally came to the conclusion: 1. The point they thought was completely inconsistent with the project requirements. And the original idea didn't work, and the whole project was equivalent to zero. The technical point is also the bad technology on the market, there is nothing new at all. 2. It is necessary to redesign products, software, and policies to combine ideas. Adhere to the policy to improve the serviceability, reproducibility and profitability of the surrounding products. Not just for their company ( the government's project is definitely not to solve the situation of a certain company, but to solve the situation of a certain type of company ). 3. Time is tight, remove the tail, remove the inspection time reserved for customers. The entire book has only 15 days from the design of innovative projects, feasibility analysis, profit point design, improvement, to drawing, and writing the book. Among them, there are 7 days for the New Year, and during these 7 days, I have to work overtime to rush the book. Moreover, it is a transformational and innovative project, and it must have different benefits than others, so that the government will see this project and be willing to spend money to try it. We spent another morning roughly making a user story, so that their products can be combined with the system to produce social or economic benefits. And there are places that are different from others in the model. And after customizing the approximate cost, I made an appointment with the customer.
second meeting
The second meeting was attended by the main writer of our book (the company has a special person responsible for plan writing), who mainly analyzed the project application requirements and put forward some suggestions. 1. I hope that the customer can realize that the original declaration direction is wrong 2. If the customer is willing to write it to us, and is willing to pay the corresponding service fee, we can also do it. 3. If the customer thinks it is not suitable, we are also a process of accumulation.
After listening to our analysis and suggestions, customers feel that this is the solution they want. That's when it came time to talk about price, which was our biggest failure in this whole project. Our quotation is two thousandths of the project amount, and the customer was a little unhappy when he heard it. I think we are lions with a big mouth, so I bought a text plan, you want me so much. Then I explained: 1. This is not just a plan to report a project. After the plan comes out, you can actually operate it according to the plan, instead of the unrealistic and actual profit point of the original idea. It is equivalent to buying an idea for the transformation of a company. 2. This plan has a tight time period and a large workload, and we do not do this alone, but our team must invest in it. As a result, the manager of RG was very unhappy and said: "What is your idea, it is obviously our idea, and asked you to use your professional knowledge to convert it into a book, how can it become your idea. We are also doing this project. If you don't make much money, you just need to write a book." When the leaders saw that the values were different, they said, "You can find a lot of similar things on the Internet, download and copy them yourself, and then report them to try your luck." Then we were sent out politely by others.
The whole process is like this, and I have done my own reflection. Did we do it wrong? After thinking about it, we have done too much, maybe this is our shortcoming. RG wants to use a book to cover the government's 40 million, is it because they think too much, or they just want to try their luck. And we want to use our professional to help it sell a 5 yuan thing to 500 yuan to the government, and then charge him 50 yuan for the hard work, why is it that we think too much? We are also taking a chance.
This is the company's first attempt to do business with information, and there will be more in the future. Transformation is also a process of adaptation for us.