This chapter looked at various aspects that are prerequisites for starting a project.

It's tempting to jump into a project and start the work. However, a better approach is doing the ground work. We looked at the importance of understanding a client better. It's important to know the way business is done by your client and understand the flow of information as it occurs. Each function by itself is different and has its own way of working. We tried to briefly cover few of the functions which are early adopters, such as sales, finance, HR, and SCM.

Next, we looked at getting a broad overview of the project from senior stake holders. This ensures that you don't end up implementing a solution which is different from what the senior management is expecting.

Once you get the overview, document the same and get into the details with middle management. We also looked at several other documents which a consultant should pay attention to. The documentations are needed at every stage of the development.

Risk is a crucial aspect which a consultant must consider in a project. There is a lot of merit in quickly identifying the risks and working on action points to mitigate them. Documentation playsan important role and helps you to control and manage the risks better.

We also looked at a retail example and explored how we can initially approach the customer. We understood the ways to prepare and then went through a role play between the consultant (you) and the CEO.

With this chapter, we end the initial preparation phase. The next chapter will take off from where we end this chapter.

The next chapter marks the start of the execution phase of the project. It will take us through the process of detailed requirement gathering. The chapter will also talk about the strategy to be used and the documentation to be done. The chapter will also touch upon another real-life example.