This article aims to draw the picture on how to Implement your product management skills into the MDM World. Let your imagination take flight as we delve into the art of mastering the MDM world with the finesse of a true Product Maestro. First and foremost, as the Product Manager of a team that utilizes Reltio’s Customer 360, the most important thing to understand is what Reltio’s Customer 360 solution provides.
Customer 360
Customer 360 plays a crucial role within Reltio’s master data management platform by providing organizations with a comprehensive and unified view of customer data from diverse sources and systems. This holistic view empowers businesses to gain valuable insights into customer behavior, preferences, consents, and interactions, enabling them to deliver exceptional customer experiences and make well-informed, data-driven business decisions.
Gathering Requirements
Your primary focus should revolve around effectively utilizing and managing the Customer 360 solution provided by Reltio to solve the unique needs of your organization. Staying well-informed about all Reltio Releases is crucial, and don’t hesitate to seek additional clarification from the Reltio Support Team when needed.
To illustrate the process of gathering requirements, let me introduce the following use case:
| Use Case | UC001: Customer creates a profile in Online Store |
| Actors | Customer |
| Pre-condition | 1.The Online Store is up and running a. The customer opens the online store web site and click sign up b.The system opens a form with required and non-required fields c. The customer provides their information d. The system validates the details 4.1. The basic data validation is applied and the data is valid 4.2. The basic data validation is applied and the data is invalid 4.2.1. The customer corrects their data e. The customer clicks “Create profile” f. The system send “Confirmation” email and creates the profile 2. Customer 360 Team is established a while back and all Reltio Instances are up and running |
| Main Success Scenario | 1. “Online Store” system sends the data to the Customer 360 Team 2. Customer 360 Team Implement Integration layer and apply business rules |
| Goal | 1. Customer’s data is available in Reltio Customer 360 Instance |
- Identify the stakeholders for UC001: Customer creates a profile in Online Store
- Product and Project Managers
- Project Team Members/IT and Operations including Architects – The team responsible for deploying and maintaining the online store system and Reltio Customer 360 Instance.
- Testing and Quality Assurance Teams – The QA team is a stakeholder responsible for testing the online store system and the integration with the Reltio Customer 360 Instance.
- Define the scope of the use cases that impacts the Reltio Customer 360 Implementation
- In the given use case UC001: Customer creates a profile in Online Store the scope for the Customer 360 team is to secure the integration between the “Online Store” system and Reltio Customer 360 Instance.
- Surveys and Questionnaires
Really important aspect of the Reltio Customer 360 Product Manager is to ask the right questions.
- Perform a questionnaire comprising essential items crucial for making decisions on the implementation of the integration between the “Online Store” system and the Reltio Customer 360 Instance. Additionally, include details about the data that will be provided to the Customer 360 team and how it will be integrated within Reltio. Below, I have provided some common questions that may be helpful.
Will the data be sent in real-time?
- In what format will the Customer 360 team receive the data?
- What customer information is being captured?
- Could you please provide the data dictionary and schema of the payload?
- Which attributes are required and which ones are optional?
- Could you emphasize the customer key/ID in the “Online Store” system? The Customer 360 Team will use that value as a Crosswalk Value.
- What data quality rules are currently applied in the “Online Store” system?
- What data quality rules should The Customer 360 Team apply?
- Are there any forbidden values?
- Artefacts
| Artefact | Details |
|---|---|
| Quality Assurance Plan | /list Quality Standards – Identify company specific/internal process that should be applied while accomplishing the give use case. Quality Assurance Processes – Outline the process of inspections, reviews, audits and testing. Identify the responsible and accountable individuals Documentation and Progress Reporting – Detail the practices and reporting frequency-related information Test Cases and Scenarios – Provide all test cases that have to be executed while testing the quality of the implementation |
| Risk Management | Risk Identification – Thoroughly document all potential risks that could impact the implementation. For instance, considering that the successful implementation of UC001 by the Customer 360 team relies on the cooperation of the “Online Store” team, identify and assess risks related to this dependency. Risk Assessment – Conduct in-depth analyses for each identified risk and evaluate its potential impact on the project. Understanding the significance of each risk allows for better risk management. Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy – Address questions such as “What if a specific risk occurs?” and outline the actions to be taken to prevent the risk from materializing. Additionally, develop contingency plans to handle any risks that may still arise despite preventive measures. Communication Plan – Create a comprehensive list of points of contact, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, for all stakeholders, responsible individuals, and support tools. A well-defined communication plan facilitates seamless information exchange and fosters effective collaboration throughout the project. |
| WBS – Work Breakdown Structure | Involves breaking down the tasks and activities involved in achieving the use case’s objectives. |
| Functional and Non-Functional Requirements | Work with the Customer 360 team’s architects to create a detailed document with all of the business and technical details Discuss points like – Data Security, Performance, Scalability, Reliability, Monitoring |
Planning
To ensure successful planning and set achievable expectations, it is essential to consult with the Customer 360 Engineering Team to determine the time required to accomplish the given use case and achieve the ultimate goal of making customer data from the “Online Store” system available in the company’s Reltio Instance.
- User Stories – Divide the overall use case into smaller, manageable, and requirement-specific chunks that can be presented to the team. Below is an example of what the first user story could look like.
| Title | Add new source in Reltio Customer 360 Instance |
|---|---|
| User Story | As a Customer 360 User I want to see “Online Store” source, so that I can differentiate the data that was send by the “Online Store” system and I can make more informed decisions. |
| Dependency | “Online Store” Team (it is helpful if you include points of contact) |
| Priority | High |
| Label/Epic | Online Shopping |
| Reporter | Reltio Customer 360 Product Manager |
| Assignee | Senior Reltio Configurations Engineer |
| Story Points | 1 |
When you bring the user stories to the Backlog Refinement/Grooming meetings and the team provides reasonable estimation for the effort required, you will have a general and realistic expectation and answer to the questions: “When the Customer 360 Team can deliver the feature?”.
Tips
- Always keep the team informed about task priorities to ensure everyone is aware of what needs to be addressed first.
- When planning iterations, consider the number of Engineers in your Customer 360 Team and set a realistic amount of work that can be accomplished within the given time frame.
- Set clear goals and define specific objectives and outcomes for the planning session. Clearly communicate the expected deliverables to ensure everyone is aligned.
- Foster an environment of open collaboration and communication during the planning session. Encourage all participants to freely share their ideas, concerns, and insights to foster creativity and collective problem-solving.
- Ensure preparation in advance by sharing necessary information, documents, and context with participants before the planning session. This enables everyone to come prepared and ready for productive discussions.
- Don’t forget to document the lessons learned and established best practices from the planning sessions. Keeping a record of these insights will help improve future planning and decision-making processes. Additionally, it ensures that valuable knowledge is retained even if team members change or rotate.
- Regularly review and update task priorities as needed to adapt to changing requirements and project dynamics. Flexibility is key to keeping the team focused on the most relevant tasks.
- Allocate resources efficiently and consider the expertise and skill sets of individual team members when assigning tasks. This helps ensure that tasks are distributed to the most suitable team members, optimizing productivity and output.
- Celebrate milestones and achievements reached during the planning and execution phases. Recognizing and acknowledging the team’s hard work and success can boost morale and motivation.
- Anticipate potential roadblocks or challenges that may arise during the planning process and brainstorm contingency plans to address them proactively. Being prepared for uncertainties can help keep the project on track.
Resources
https://www.reltio.com/products/reltio-connected-customer-360
