Too often, organisations invest heavily in developing new products, services and processes – only to find that they don’t deliver the expected value. End users end up struggling to engage with systems that don’t meet their needs, and businesses are left with costly misfires that don’t fit the market. Why does this happen, and how can organisations avoid this expensive and frustrating pitfall?

The challenge: Solutions that aren’t fit for purpose

The root of the problem lies in a common disconnect: organisations focus on delivering outputs rather than achieving outcomes. Projects are launched with predefined features and processes, but without a clear understanding of what end users actually need. Some key reasons this occurs include:

• Lack of user research: Assumptions about user behaviour often replace real-world insights. Without direct engagement, organisations risk designing solutions that don’t align with actual needs.
• Siloed development: Business analysts, developers and product teams may work in isolation, leading to a mismatch between business objectives and user realities.
• Ignoring market fit: Even a well-designed product can fail if it doesn’t solve a real problem in a viable market. Organisations that neglect to test market demand risk launching solutions that don’t gain traction.
• Rigid processes: Overly prescriptive project methodologies can limit the ability to adapt and iterate based on feedback, making it difficult to course-correct when issues arise.

The result? Systems, products and services that fail to deliver the intended value, frustrate end users and drain resources.

The solution: Business analysis and user-centric development

Organisations that succeed in delivering fit-for-purpose solutions take a different approach – one rooted in business analysis, user research and market awareness. Here’s how:

1. Start with the end user in mind: Before designing a solution, invest in deep user research. Engage stakeholders, conduct interviews, observe behaviours, and use techniques like personas and journey mapping to uncover true needs.
2. Leverage business analysis to bridge the gap: Business analysts play a critical role in aligning business objectives with user requirements. By facilitating workshops, gathering requirements, utilising user stories and validating assumptions, they ensure that solutions are designed with real-world impact in mind.
3. Validate market fit early: Organisations should test their ideas in the market before full-scale development. Prototyping, pilot programs and minimum viable products (MVPs) allow teams to gather feedback and refine their approach before making large investments.
4. Embrace agility: Products and processes should evolve based on continuous feedback. Agile methodologies, design thinking and incremental improvements help teams adapt to user needs and changing market conditions.
5. Break down silos: Collaboration between business analysts, product managers, designers and technical teams ensures a holistic approach. Cross-functional teams working together can create solutions that align business goals with user expectations.

Delivering solutions that work

By integrating business analysis, user research and an iterative development mindset, organisations can dramatically reduce the risk of building products and processes that miss the mark. When businesses take the time to truly understand their users, validate their market and remain adaptable, they create solutions that are not only fit for purpose but also ultimately drive long-term success.

Here at CMC, we help organisations bridge the gap between strategy, technology and user needs. Get in touch to find out how we can support your journey toward delivering solutions that truly make an impact.

By Lynda Girvan, Head of Business Analysis and Agility at CMC Partnership Consultancy Ltd