Planning for Uncertain Opportunities

Individual projects often lack a comprehensive vision. Solutions to one department's problem might be of benefit to others, but how can a team plan for such unknown opportunities? Striking the right balance between "big picture thinking" and "scope creep" can yield far-reaching payoffs. By exploring the development of two such projects, both of which grew from limited initial concepts into enterprise-changing applications, we gained insight into the type of thinking that can help avoid the inevitable "if only" regrets of limited planning.