Consider the Scope of Your Implementation
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Describe various approaches to implementation.
- Select the scope of your implementation project.
Project Approaches Based on Scope
Depending on budget, resources, desired use cases, and timing, implementation projects come in all sizes. Let’s cover three common approaches based on the scope of an implementation project.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Focused on immediate impact, you are interested in a quick implementation. This type of project has a small development effort designed to meet a specific use case within a short project timeline. Your team is ready to work directly with a partner during the implementation project. They are focused on learning the development process in order to own all development work after the implementation project is complete.
Implement for Today
Focused on your current business, this project includes a medium to large development effort that delivers use cases that meets your immediate needs. This project also builds a foundation for additional use cases without immediate developer support. After the project is over, your team can request help from an internal developer to assist with future projects and enhancements.
Plan for Tomorrow
Focused on building a foundation designed to deliver long-term impact, you are interested in a partner who can provide a fully configured product. This project may include a large development effort with a comprehensive site map, deep use case development, cross-channel activation, and data integration. After the project is complete, your team requires minimal developer support to drive additional personalization, integrate new data sources, or make other significant changes.
What path reflects your current (and future) situation? The following exercise will help you consider the best approach for your team.
Which Implementation Approach Should You Choose?
In the table below, answer a few questions to help decide what project approach you might want to consider. For each question, select the best answer by clicking on the cell in column A, B, or C.
Recommendations
Let’s review your recommendation, along with the other possibilities to learn the differences.
Why MVP?
You may be new to web personalization or are looking to integrate with other systems. You have access to resources to manage changes and program expansion. You should also consider MVP if your company makes regular website changes. If changes are frequent, it probably doesn’t make sense to invest in an extensive implementation project especially when site mapping needs to be updated regularly to align with your changing website.
Why implement for today?
If your company doesn’t make many website changes or you don’t have easy access to a developer, then consider this project approach. This project format is good for transitioning a few existing web personalization campaigns or creating a few new campaigns based on templates and content zones created during implementation.
Why plan for tomorrow?
Your project either includes complex requirements or you have fewer internal resources available. A robust implementation project spends more time focusing on gathering requirements to deliver a more comprehensive, forward-looking design with a broad range of use cases. It may be helpful to have a developer assist in requirements gathering, design assessment, and detailing historical functionality.
Regardless of which project approach you choose, it’s important to be realistic with your implementation partner about your immediate and future needs for using Marketing Cloud Personalization.
Ready for Success
Now that you’ve identified keys to success, evaluated your team and use cases, and selected your project scope—you are ready to work with your implementation partner to begin your journey with Marketing Cloud Personalization!
