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Many companies have found that the core systems and business applications they have implemented are out of sync with the actual needs of the field, and are not achieving the expected efficiency gains.
This discrepancy is not merely a problem of operability, but a serious issue that can lead to lower productivity, impede employee motivation, and ultimately reduce the competitiveness of the company as a whole.
This article analyzes the background and structure of this issue of “mismatch between the system and on-site needs,” and discusses Vision Consulting’s approach and concrete measures to resolve this issue.

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Problem Statement/Background: Why do systems diverge from field needs?

The disconnect between the system and field needs is caused by several compounding factors.

• Inadequate Requirements Definition:
  This is a case in which the business processes and potential issues in the field are not sufficiently interviewed and analyzed in the early stages of system development, and only formal requirements are defined.
  Another factor is that top-down decisions are made ahead of time and the voices of the field are not reflected.
• Development Process Issues:
  Long-term development models based on initial requirements definition, such as waterfall development, make it difficult to keep pace with the changing business environment and on-site needs during development.
• Lack of communication:
  Lack of communication or mutual understanding between the systems and business departments leads to discrepancies in perception between intended and implemented functionality.
• The “making” of a system becomes its own objective :
  In some cases, the introduction of a system becomes an objective in itself, lacking the perspective of improving operational efficiency and creating value that it should be achieving.
• Resistance to Change:
  Psychological resistance from the field to changes in operating procedures and restructuring of business processes that accompany migration to a new system can occur.
  As a result, this can hinder the utilization of the system.

Analysis of current situation/deep dive into issues: Specific harmful effects of divergence

The disconnect between the system and the needs of the field can have the following specific adverse effects

Proposed Solution/Approach: Vision Consulting’s “field-centric” approach

Vision Consulting emphasizes the following “field-centered” approach to eliminate the disconnect between systems and field needs.

Case Study/Author’s Experience (Suggested)

Vision Consulting conducted thorough on-site interviews and workflow analysis to identify the true bottlenecks and necessary functions. We then introduced an agile development process that involved on-site personnel, releasing functions and making improvements over a period of several months. As a result, the system was built to meet the needs of the field, manual labor time was greatly reduced, and productivity was improved. The key to this success was a deep understanding of the site from the very beginning and ongoing communication.

Outlook/Discussion: The System is a Means to an End, the Objective is Value Creation

Systems are merely a “means” to improve operational efficiency and create new value, not an end in themselves. A system that is out of step with the needs of the field will hinder the achievement of these objectives.
To truly promote DX, it is essential not only to introduce technology, but also to review the business processes and work styles of the field itself, and to link them in a way that allows the system to effectively support these processes and work styles.

Specific Procedures/Considerations

Specific steps to be taken by companies struggling with the disconnect between their systems and field needs include

1. Current Status Assessment:
   Objectively assess to what extent the current system deviates from on-site needs and what specific inefficiencies exist. Questionnaires and interviews with the field are effective.
2. Cause Analysis:
   Identify root causes (requirements definition, development process, communication, etc.) as to why discrepancies are occurring.
3. Issue Sharing:
   Share awareness of issues among management, system and business departments and set common goals for resolution.
4. Consider solutions :
   Consider specific solutions such as business process improvement, system modification/restructuring, introduction of agile development, communication improvement, etc. Utilizing outside experts is also effective.
5. Execution and Evaluation:
   We implement solutions based on the plan and regularly evaluate and measure their effectiveness. The plan is reviewed as needed for continuous improvement.

Conclusion/Summary

The gap between systems and field needs is a deep-seated challenge faced by many companies, but it can be overcome with a field-centric approach and continuous improvement.
Vision Consulting supports the construction of systems that are truly utilized in the field and create business value through thorough business analysis, requirement definition involving the field, and support for the introduction of agile development.
If you are concerned about inefficiencies in your system, please contact us.

supplementary information

• Related services: DX promotion support, business process reform (BPR), system implementation consulting, agile development implementation support
• Keywords: requirements definition, agile development, UX design, change management, BPMN, DX