Requirements are the key to a successful implementation and yet so many forget to get the detailed requirements. In this session, we discuss the what, why, who, of requirements gathering and why its one of the critical parts of a successful implementation. We will focus on different aspects of discovery, requirements gathering, users and use cases and walk through it together to get a clear understanding of why the focus should be on the business and the users.

1. The Art of Discovery
Why Requirements Matter

2. #CD2023 @CzechDreamin
Pallavi is the founder of Kander, a Salesforce
consulting firm in Washington DC. Her passion is
finding ways to help clients determine their true path
and identify the technology which can be the vehicle
to achieve the north star through strategic
implementations and project management.
She believes that it’s about the business process
and understanding the "why" of the user
experience and customers to really drive the
business outcomes for clients.
She has over 15 years of management consulting
experience. She enjoys traveling, snowboarding,
hiking, and biking.
She is also passionate about mentoring women in
the community for personal and career growth and
leads the DC Admin Salesforce group.
Pallavi Agarwal, CEO & Founder

3. My Trailblazer Journey
Accenture
2005 - 2011
Deloitte
2011
Verity
Consulting
2013-2015 Pierce
Washington
2015-2016
Acumen
Solutions
2016-2018
Kander (CEO)
2018 - Present
Internships:
Disney & Fox
2012-2013
CEO & Founder
Kander Consult
@KanderConsult / @PalluAgs

4. Why Discovery is Essential
@KanderConsult / @PalluAgs

5. Identify your goals: Setting clear business goals help your company determine
how you plan on leveraging your new business solution.
Measuring success: Have a clear vision of what the result will be like and the
specific measurements in place that help to define project success.
Identify the stakeholders: Anyone involved or directly impacted by the project
should be identified and included early in the project.
Documentation: Describing and documenting your business processes is a
critical first step to creating a more efficient workflow.
The Fundamentals of Discovery
@KanderConsult / @PalluAgs

6. ● Ask and understand the “Why”
● Understand the big picture (10,000ft vs. 15ft)
● Road mapping for future ideal state
● Constant Learning
● Open up the dialogue about the current business process
and potential gaps
● Define goals and get a well-rounded and in-depth
understanding of the scope of the project and any limitations
● Understand what it will take to make the change work before
they try and fail
How to Be Successful
@KanderConsult / @PalluAgs

7. ● Ensure that projects and initiatives are on target and
aligned with strategic goals
● Get to the heart of what is most important for the
company and the project …
○ What pain point or problem are we trying to solve
for?
○ How does this help the business meet goals?
○ Will this be useful a year from now based on
business operations?
○ What is the end result of doing this?
○ What is needed vs what is nice to have?
Ask Questions to Stay Focused
@KanderConsult / @PalluAgs

8. Shortcuts Cause Future Problems
● Increased cycle time
● Building for an individual ask and not for
scalability
● Lack of flexibility across business units
● Decreased capacity for user adoption and
business impact
@KanderConsult / @PalluAgs

9. Take a Collaborative Approach
● Ensure all the key stakeholders, from users to
decision makers, are at one table … from the
very beginning
● Create a team that provides a holistic set of
skills and points of view
○ Design Architect
○ Technical Architect
○ Business Analyst
○ Program Manager
@KanderConsult / @PalluAgs

10. Using Discovery to Save the Super Sitters
Chicago Super Sitters initial implementation
failed after the initial system created operational
gaps and scattered data sources.
Discovery led to a robust MVP including flows
and automated processes that yielded business
impact:
● Siloed data transformed into a single source
of truth
● Cost reductions resulting from streamlined
systems for sitter matching
● Foundational systems built for scalability,
upgradability, usability & sustainability
@KanderConsult / @PalluAgs

11. Lessons Learned
● Requirements are the key!
● Always think business first and
fit the solution to the business
● Solution for long term vs. short
term
@KanderConsult / @PalluAgs

12. Resources
Let’s Stay Connected!
Kander Consult Blog Posts
● Kanderconsult.com
● The importance of Discovery
● Get users involved in your
Salesforce org design

13. Thank you