The Problem

For nearly two decades, I have been immersed in the world of software development, particularly within enterprise software. Throughout my career, which straddles the intersection of business and IT, I have witnessed numerous projects fall short of their intended goals. Even projects that initially seemed promising ultimately ended in failure. On more than one occasion, I found myself involved in the creation of solutions that were either underutilized or never used at all.

Allow me to share an illustrative example from my experience. Imagine a company operating in the construction industry, referred to as JCC Construction Ltd. At JCC, all the sales representatives relied on Word to create offers for their clients. As part of a project, our objective was to replace Word with a centralized Offer & Order Management System. The purpose behind this endeavor was to enforce the use of templates, enhance control over the sales process, improve sales forecasts, and facilitate the seamless conversion of offers into accepted orders. Subsequently, newly signed deals could be effortlessly transferred from the sales team to subsequent stakeholders such as project managers and supply chain staff.

To accomplish this, we conducted extensive interviews with all the relevant stakeholders, leaving no stone unturned. Our dedication to meeting the needs of each department knew no bounds. We meticulously iterated on our solutions, incorporating copious amounts of feedback. However, despite our best efforts, the project ultimately failed to gain traction among the sales team.

But why did this happen? Didn't we execute our responsibilities admirably? Well... in hindsight, there was a particular aspect that should have raised more concern. During our interviews with various departments, we discovered inconsistencies in the detailed information we gathered. For instance, different viewpoints emerged regarding the structure and pricing of certain articles within the system. Sales, in particular, expressed a desire for more freedom in selecting suppliers. Whenever we encountered such inconsistencies, we conducted additional interviews and sought resolution. As a last resort, we turned to the most experienced domain expert in the area to make the final decision. Little did we know that this decision-making process was where we went astray.

In summary, despite engaging in comprehensive business analysis, utilizing various business analysis tools, conducting business process analysis, employing business process mapping and modeling techniques, and utilizing diagramming tools such as flowchart diagrams, our project failed due to our approach to resolving conflicting information. Our failure to recognize the impact of this misstep led to the downfall of our efforts.

A powerful workshop technique that aims to break down silos, foster collaboration, and align your organization around a common goal.

It was only after witnessing Alberto Brandolini's captivating presentation at DDD Europe 2019, where he introduced EventStorming, that I finally acquired the ability to articulate the problem in its entirety.

• Organizations commonly operate in isolated silos, resulting in inconsistent practices across these silo boundaries.
• Conducting isolated interviews leads to fragmented pieces that lack coherence. Attempting to translate these disjointed fragments into software will inevitably lead to inefficacy.
• Relying solely on domain experts for decision-making can yield incorrect outcomes. Even domain experts work within their own silos and lack a comprehensive understanding of the entire picture. In many cases, no single individual possesses the complete picture.

The organization lacks alignment, and no one possesses a comprehensive understanding of how it is intended to function as a whole.

The solution

So, what's the next step? The challenge ahead appears significant! Must we wait for the organization to align itself before we can progress? It seems like a change management endeavor, which often faces resistance. However, this is precisely where Event Storming comes into play! Rather than waiting for organizational alignment, Event Storming establishes an exceptionally ambitious objective:

• Let's delve into the domain and thoroughly understand it.
• Let's visualize and highlight the existing inconsistencies.
• Let's foster consensus regarding the crucial problems and their corresponding solutions.
• Let's align the various silos within the organization.
• Let's embark on this journey collectively.
• Let's strive for speed and accomplish all of this within a single day!

Alright, then how do we go about achieving that?

Instead of delving into all the intricate details here, I'll provide you with a high-level overview and share some links to other blog posts and videos. At a high level, Event Storming can be categorized into three main types:

• Big Picture Event Storming: This approach aims to align a large team, involving up to 20 individuals simultaneously, by providing a comprehensive overview of the domain and its complexities.
• Process Modeling Event Storming: With a focus on modeling and reaching consensus on a specific process, this variant involves a smaller group of around 5-8 people who collaboratively analyze and define the process flow.
• Software Design Event Storming: Similar to process modeling, this type goes a step further by incorporating additional steps to design software components, enabling the team to bridge the gap between domain understanding and software implementation. It also involves a smaller group of participants.

In the case of JCC mentioned earlier, Big Picture Event Storming would have been the ideal choice. Given the need to align a large group of stakeholders, involving up to 20 individuals from different departments, this approach would have been highly beneficial.

Prior to discovering Event Storming, I struggled to facilitate effective meetings with such a substantial audience. Either the discussions spiraled into chaos or I had to strictly adhere to the agenda, stifling the opportunity for creative exchanges.

Big Picture Event Storming, however, provides an incredibly effective workshop format specifically tailored for up to 20 participants. Its primary objective is to ensure that everyone in the room comprehends the entire business, transcending their own silos and gaining a holistic understanding across various boundaries. By establishing this shared understanding of the business, we can then proceed to identify and address our specific needs.

Using techniques from business analysis, such as process analysis, process modeling, and diagramming tools like flowchart diagrams, Big Picture Event Storming enables us to navigate the complexity of the domain while involving all relevant stakeholders. It serves as a powerful tool for bridging gaps and fostering collaboration in the pursuit of a shared vision.

Big Picture — Summary of the steps

1. Prepare a room with a large wall (up to 16 meters for a large session) covered in whiteboard plastic.

2. Participants write down Domain Events on orange sticky notes. A Domain Event:

  - Uses past tense verbs.

  - Relates to the business domain.

3. Participants arrange the Domain Events on a timeline, fostering interaction and promoting understanding of the business beyond individual silos.

4. Additional information is added using sticky notes of different colors:

  - Yellow for people.

  - Pink for systems.

  - Red for problems.

  - Green for opportunities.

5. Participants vote for the most crucial problems to address or the most significant opportunities to explore.

An Event Storming session offers an immersive learning experience. When everyone comprehends the business across silo boundaries, alignment tends to occur naturally. Understanding each other's problems diminishes potential conflicts. At the end of an Event Storming session, you can expect to have:

- A heightened understanding of the business.

- Alignment across silo boundaries.

- Consensus on the most critical problems to solve.

Event storming is a game-changing approach that can help your organization find success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

Does this sound interesting? If you want to discuss Event Storming feel free to reach out. You can use our contact form here.