Just as an incorrect solution to a business requirement cannot produce the desired results, a correct solution to an incorrect business requirement is also a waste.
Since many of the solution providers follow the notion “customer is always right”, they don’t bother to ask their customers the reason “why such solution is needed?”. There remains a possibility that a customer wants to solve a particular problem and as such engages a vendor to build / deliver a solution which s/he thinks is the only way out. The system integrator, who has technical expertise in the application(s) considered by customer, is involved and the story begins. Often the customers get to know the capabilities of solutions only after deployment when they start using the applications and by time they learn that the return on investment (ROI) is not as expected and as promised the supplier has already left the show, with clearance certificate.
Whom to blame? The vendor or the customer? I think “both”. What is your take on this?
If you are working on Buy or Sell side of the solution you may think it differently. To facilitate you in assessing the situation better, I’d refer you to the compliance terminology provided by The Open Group.
To illustrate, let's say the customer required two features to be implemented,
A and
B. Here's what you say of compliance, when you compare the specifications with implementation:
- If C and D are delivered, it is Irrelevant,
- If B and C are delivered, it is Consistent,
- If ONLY A or B is delivered, it is Compliant,
- If A, B, and C are delivered, it is Conformant,
- If A and B are delivered, it is Fully Conformant,
- If a and b are delivered, it is Non-Conformant.
Please share your thoughts.