The document outlines a theory for proposing solutions to customers as a solution provider. It discusses two types of customer challenges: business process difficulties and IT capability difficulties. For business difficulties, a solution provider would deliver business software or a combination of software and hardware. For IT difficulties, a solution provider provides IT services like consulting, project management, and training. When proposing solutions, the provider needs to carefully understand the true, underlying challenges through hypothesis testing rather than just surface-level demands. An effective proposal will: 1) indicate and prioritize customer challenges; 2) propose specific solutions to address each challenge; and 3) present an execution plan and introduce the team to address concerns over plan delivery.

1. Theory of Proposal for a Solution Provider
Yuichi MORIWAKI
14 March 2016 (C) 2016 Yuichi MORIWAKI 1

2. Before proposing
• “Solution” sometimes indicates commercial goods, food, medicine or consulting but in software business, “Solution”
need to be a service which solves customers challenges or difficulties. An organization or a person who provides those
“Solution” is called a solution provider.
• There are two types of categories in customers challenges.
1. “Business process difficulties”
2. “IT capability difficulties”
• For “Business difficulties”, a solution provider provides, regardless of the type of delivery, a set of software which can
solve those difficulties. A provider will deliver a set of software as a SaaS or a provider may deliver a set of software
together with a set of hardware. We call it a “business solution”. For “IT capability difficulties”, a solution provider
provides various kinds of software capability, which includes IT consulting, Project managing, Software designing,
System operation, Network design, Security servicing and training. We call it a “IT solution”.
• Customer’s requirement is wide and various so the solution provider need to carefully listen to the customers voice.
Customers themselves haven’t got a clear idea about the root difficulties. They sometimes recognize some visible
matters and may make misunderstanding about their requirement. So even they say they need some “Business
solution”, but sometimes they need to be proposed “IT solution” like IT consultation.
• The points is DO NOT miss the customer’s essential difficulties and challenges. Then how can you find the points?
“Hypothesis and Test” will help.
Superficial
Demand
Hypothesis
and
Test
CPS (Customer(Account) Planning Session)
Or
Internal team discussion
Find out the true essential solution
which brings better result to customer.
If you can have a joint session with a
customer like CPS/APS, the proposal
will be more practical and clear.
Even if you can’t have CPS/APS or the
proposal stage is too early to have a
session, you can do “Hypothesis and
Test” your internal team.
Essential
Requirement
Solution
Proposal
14 March 2016 (C) 2016 Yuichi MORIWAKI 2

3. Theory of Proposal
• The theory of proposal is
1. Indicate customer challenges
1. Itemize and indicate multiple challenges by list and mark the severity
2. Put the reason why these are to be solved
3. What is the current issue brought from those challenges
4. Weight with urgency and severity
2. Propose solution
1. Indicate solution for each item
2. Explain the readiness, easiness, cost etc.
1. Those need to be proposed with the consideration of customer’s situation.
3. Select 2~3 solutions from the solution and indicate the reason
1. Indicate the efficiency expected by application of those solution. (Charts or tables may help)
4. Present the execution plan.
1. Execution plan includes, the schedule, task (both customer and provider), cost etc.
5. Introduce the conductor of these plan.
1. Make customer confident about execution of those plan. Customer always expects someone who initiates the activity,
and who gives hints, guides and navigates to the right direction.
Customer challenges Propose Solution
Itemize
Challenges
Clarify
Reason
Indicate
the Issue
Prioritize
Indicate Solution
Readiness & Difficulties
Impact of Solution
Explain the Plan
Introduce the Team
14 March 2016 (C) 2016 Yuichi MORIWAKI 3