Defining Business Objectives Before You Build

Applications in the platform are data-driven. They are focused around a centralized relational database of information. Within the platform’s web-based environment, this relational database becomes the foundation for a multitude of business activities that revolved around the data so that specific information is organized and centralized in one location.

Business Objectives

The following series of questions will help orient you to what you need prior to building your application. You may already have an idea of what you want, but this provides you with some basic groundwork you should consider.

1. What are the issues you are trying to solve with a new application? What are the existing processes or other software tools this application is designed to enhance or replace?
2. What are your primary and secondary goals for this application?
3. Who are the primary and secondary users within your organization for this application? What roles will they play?
4. Who potentially outside your organization would indirectly be a user? (For example, visitors to your website who you would want to see information from the platform).
5. List as many activities or processes as you can that this application will drive. You should consider the primary activities, any special activities you will want to do, and what the end result of these activities are.
6. Once you have the data ready in the application, what information does your team need to have? What information will help them do their job better?
7. If you are building an application with the intention of marketing and selling it, here are some basic factors you should consider:
   • number of potential users or businesses who are likely to use the application
   • whether the application can be modified to service another market segment not originally intended without major re-work
   • what existing tools are available that accomplish the same intent and what are their short-comings?

What Do I Want to Accomplish?

Once data is put into the application, what are some reports you would expect to have? Who needs to see them? How often? This may help you determine whether you need a report or perhaps just a dashboard.

Consider access rights (who can see what data) you would want to include as part of this application. Ideally, you would organize them into roles and what areas of the application they would have rights to. You will be able to define these roles in the Setup area.

Are there templates you wish to generate based on this data? For example, invoices, mail-merge style letters, receipts, pre-filled forms. The platform provides print templates when customizing objects.

Is there any data you want external people to provide using a web form? For example, contact us, reserve a spot, etc. The platform provides customizable web forms you can embed to an HTML page that are linked to the application.

Are there data policies for your application? For example, do you want some action taken when a specific value is entered or if a new record is added or deleted? The platform provides you with customizable data policies where you can establish specific triggers that Prospect to other actions.

Is there a specific workflow that your application can automate? For example, approval cycles, case management, etc. The platform provides a means to define workflows to drive your business processes.