Upgrade Journey

JTBD MC2

The Improver experiences the Upgrade Journey — The process of upgrading or enhancing the solution.

Job: Upgrading a solution

Job Steps

These are sub-objectives of the overall job following the 9 universal phases of Jobs to be Done. Each step is further supported by several performance metrics that customers use to measure success. These are what get prioritized in a survey.

Identify improvement opportunities

The ability to recognize areas within the current solution that can be enhanced for better performance, efficiency, or user satisfaction.

1

Gather feedback from users

The ability to collect insights, suggestions, and complaints from users of the current solution to understand their needs and pain points.

2

Research new technologies and methods

The ability to locate and understand emerging technologies or methodologies that can be applied to the solution for improvement.

3

Evaluate compatibility of new technologies

The ability to assess how new technologies or methods can be integrated with the existing solution without causing disruptions.

4

Develop an upgrade plan

The ability to create a detailed strategy that outlines the steps, resources, and timeline for implementing the improvements.

5

Secure necessary resources

The ability to obtain all the materials, tools, and human resources required to execute the upgrade.

6

Test new components in a controlled environment

The ability to verify the functionality and compatibility of new technologies or methods with the existing solution before full-scale implementation

7

Implement the upgrade

The ability to execute the improvement plan, integrating new technologies or methods into the existing solution.

8

Collect user feedback on the upgrade

The ability to gather insights from users about their experience with the upgraded solution, focusing on improved areas and any new issues that may have arisen.

9

Monitor system performance post-upgrade

The ability to observe and analyze the solution's performance after the upgrade to ensure it meets or exceeds expected improvements.

10

Adjust based on feedback on the upgrade

The ability to make necessary adjustments to the upgrade based on user feedback and performance data to optimize the solution.

11

Document the upgrade process and outcomes

The ability to record the steps taken, technologies implemented, and the impact of the upgrade for future reference and continuous improvement.

12

Communicate the upgrade to all stakeholders

The ability to inform users, team members, and other stakeholders about the upgrade, highlighting the benefits and any changes in usage or functionality.

13

Contexts

When jobs have too high of a context, insights tend to be less actionable - or at least relevant for certain stakeholders. These contexts provide a means for narrowing the scope of your research in a consistent and structured fashion. Certainly, more contexts exist, and can be addressed with a specific request.

Situations

While a group of people may be trying to get the same job done, the way the respond to needs-prioritization questions can be different. When we find statistical clusters of needs we need a way to describe why the group is different from another, not simply that that are different based on how they rate needs. Situations (aka Complexity Factors) that end users experience when they execute the job (or last executed the job) could be different, thus resulting in a different prioritization of specific performance metrics. One or or more situations could correlate to a segment, and it is recommend that follow up interviews are done with actual respondents within a segment to help you gain clarity, and verbatims you can use to construct your strategic storyline for the segment.

Ideal States

There are times when going deep into a job, job map, and success metrics is just too much of a gamble. Is it the right job to study? Ideal states give us a handful of indicators that can be used in addition to importance, difficulty, and frequency to understand which jobs groups of end users struggle with, and why.

Financial Metrics

The purchase decision-maker has a say in product selection, and costs relative to cash outlays, direct or indirect, are what they think about. These questions can only be answer by the person who makes those decisions. For consumers, many times you can included these in a core functional study. However, beware of business end users who simply use products that are purchased for them. They are not the right audience for these metrics.

1. Minimize the cost of obtaining licenses required for the upgraded solution.
2. Minimize the cost of hardware upgrades necessary to support the new solution.
3. Minimize the cost of technical support for troubleshooting post-upgrade issues.
4. Minimize the cost of data migration to the new system.
5. Minimize the cost of downtime during the transition to the upgraded solution.
6. Minimize the cost of employee training on the new features of the upgraded solution.
7. Minimize the cost of additional security measures needed for the upgraded system.
8. Minimize the cost of software licenses for the new solution.
9. Minimize the cost of warranty extensions for the upgraded equipment.
10. Minimize the cost of bandwidth upgrades required for the new solution's optimal performance.
11. Minimize the cost of storage expansion needed for the upgraded system.
12. Minimize the cost of energy consumption by the new solution.
13. Minimize the cost of disposal of old equipment replaced by the upgrade.
14. Minimize the cost of maintenance for the upgraded system.
15. Minimize the cost of user licenses for additional users in the new solution.
16. Minimize the cost of compliance audits required after upgrading.
17. Minimize the cost of integrating the upgraded solution with existing systems.
18. Minimize the cost of backup solutions for the upgraded system.
19. Minimize the cost of consulting services for optimizing the upgrade process.
20. Minimize the cost of network upgrades to support the increased load from the upgraded solution.

Related Jobs

When a core functional job is getting close to maturity, we have to look beyond steps or metrics and find other jobs the end user is trying to accomplish so we can help them. This provides an opportunity to not only get a job done better, but get more jobs done on a single platform (and potentially better).

Before Upgrading a Solution

1. Evaluating Existing Solutions - Assess the current solution to identify areas needing improvement or modernization.
2. Researching Latest Technologies - Investigate new technologies or updates that could enhance the current solution.
3. Analyzing User Feedback - Collect and analyze feedback from users to understand their needs and pain points with the current solution.
4. Defining Upgrade Objectives - Establish clear objectives for the upgrade, focusing on addressing user needs and incorporating new technologies.
5. Creating a Project Plan - Develop a detailed project plan, including timelines, resources required, and key milestones.

During Upgrading a Solution

1. Implementing New Technologies - Integrate new technologies or updates into the existing solution.
2. Testing Upgraded Features - Thoroughly test the upgraded solution to ensure all new features work as intended.
3. Training Users - Educate users on the new features and changes to the solution.
4. Monitoring User Feedback - Continuously gather user feedback during the upgrade process to identify any issues or areas for further improvement.
5. Adjusting Upgrade as Needed - Make necessary adjustments based on user feedback and testing results to optimize the solution.

After Upgrading a Solution

1. Evaluating Upgrade Success - Assess the overall success of the upgrade in meeting the defined objectives.
2. Providing Ongoing Support - Offer continuous support to users for any issues or questions regarding the upgraded solution.
3. Documenting Changes and Processes - Document all changes made during the upgrade and update any related processes or guidelines.
4. Analyzing Post-Upgrade Feedback - Collect and analyze user feedback post-upgrade to understand its impact and any further improvements needed.
5. Planning for Future Upgrades - Establish a plan for future upgrades, incorporating lessons learned and user feedback from the current upgrade.

Emotional Jobs

Understanding how end users want to feel (or avoid feeling) in the context of getting the job done is important in several ways. First, understanding this helps to think about more abstract things things a user considers when actually performing the job (or access a service/journey). Second, these insights can be critical in messaging to your offer, which is something your marketing team will value.

Desired Emotions:

1. Feel Innovative: When upgrading a solution, feeling innovative is crucial for thinking outside the box and bringing new ideas to the table.
2. Feel Focused: Staying focused is essential to maintain attention to detail and ensure that all aspects of the upgrade are considered.
3. Feel Determined: Determination helps in overcoming challenges and persisting through setbacks during the upgrading process.
4. Feel Creative: Creativity is important for finding unique solutions and approaches to improve existing systems or products.
5. Feel Confident: Confidence in your skills and ideas is necessary to drive the upgrade process forward effectively.
6. Feel Enthusiastic: Enthusiasm can inspire both the individual and the team, making the upgrading process more engaging and enjoyable.

Undesired Emotions:

1. Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed: Overwhelm can lead to a loss of focus and impede the ability to effectively upgrade a solution.
2. Avoid Feeling Doubtful: Doubt can hinder decision-making and stifle innovative thinking, which are critical in the upgrading process.
3. Avoid Feeling Frustrated: Frustration can arise from challenges in the upgrading process, but it's important to manage it to maintain productivity.
4. Avoid Feeling Bored: Boredom can lead to a lack of innovation and a decrease in the quality of the upgrade.
5. Avoid Feeling Insecure: Insecurity about one's abilities can prevent taking necessary risks or trying new approaches during the upgrade.
6. Avoid Feeling Disinterested: A lack of interest can result in a lack of effort and subpar upgrades.

Social Jobs

Ditto emotional jobs

Positive Perceptions

1. Be Perceived as Innovative - Being seen as innovative suggests you can generate creative solutions and improvements, essential in upgrading a solution.
2. Be Perceived as Detail-Oriented - Attention to detail is crucial for identifying areas that need improvement and ensuring quality upgrades.
3. Be Perceived as Resourceful - Being viewed as resourceful implies the ability to find effective solutions and workarounds, especially when faced with challenges.
4. Be Perceived as Collaborative - Collaboration is key in upgrading solutions, and being seen as a team player can foster better teamwork and results.
5. Be Perceived as Knowledgeable - Having a deep understanding of the subject matter is vital, and being seen as knowledgeable instills confidence in others about your abilities.
6. Be Perceived as Efficient - Efficiency in implementing upgrades shows capability in managing time and resources effectively.

Negative Perceptions

1. Avoid Being Perceived as Resistant to Change - Being seen as resistant to change can hamper the upgrading process and slow down innovation.
2. Avoid Being Perceived as Indecisive - Indecisiveness can lead to delays and uncertainty, which are detrimental when upgrading solutions.
3. Avoid Being Perceived as Disorganized - Disorganization can lead to errors and inefficiencies, negatively impacting the quality of the upgrade.
4. Avoid Being Perceived as Uncommunicative - Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings and hinder collaboration, which is essential in upgrading processes.
5. Avoid Being Perceived as Uninformed - Being seen as uninformed can diminish credibility and the trust others place in your ability to upgrade the solution effectively.
6. Avoid Being Perceived as Impatient - Impatience can lead to rushed decisions and overlook important details in the upgrading process.

How this was made

I used the tools that I’ve shared in my Jobs-to-be-Done Masterclass: Eliminating Jobs-to-be-Done Interviews with Artificial Intelligence ⬅️ to build this entire catalog.

While it did take some time, that’s because there are 16 journeys and the catalogs are comprehensive. You will not find anything like this in the JTBD practitioner world.

Consultants make their money doing things. Innovators automate things. I hope Customer Experience (CX) professionals are able to leverage this work to accelerate their own.

Purpose

Journey Mapping exercises typically end with a visualization of a make believe journey with a smattering of pain points expressed by a smattering of real people.

Have you ever wondered why you constantly have to redo these?

What I’ve developed above may not be absolutely perfect for your situation, but with a few tweaks it will stand the test of time as the backbone of your prioritization of customer needs, and the foundation of your strategic roadmaps far into the future.

We don’t study solutions, we study the jobs your customers are trying to get done as they experience the lifecycle of ownership within your ecosystem.

Simple as that.

Now, go run a survey. I’ll be incorporating some accelerators for that very, very soon.

Contact

Mike Boysen - Managing Director

Practical JTBD, LLC

www.pjtbd.com | http://jobstobedone.substack.com

678-824-2789 | info@pjtbd.com

Copyright

The entire catalog is covered under creative commons….

The Customer Journey 2.0 Toolkit © 2024 by Michael A. Boysen is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International