For a time my kids were engaged in a club whose activity was building really fancy robots out of Legos. The biggest adventure was to hear what the kids would say when I asked “What does it do?”
There are a couple of kinds of robots: The kind that are in tacky ‘50s Science Fiction movies (okay, and Star Wars) that walk and talk and clean houses; and then there are the real ones, the complicated gizmos that do the same movements over and over again to aid and perfect a process, usually in manufacturing.
As a process, manufacturing presents clarity of purpose and therefore, a use case that is self-evident. The more quality stuff that comes off the manufacturing line, the more stuff the company can sell. Anything that speeds up, automates or improves the process is good, and it’s value can be objectively measured.
In my role as an Account Manager, I often deal with requests that could be roughly translated “I want a robot. I have these Legos, and I want to (need to; have to; have been ordered to; don’t have time to; finally have the money to…) make a robot out of them.”
What do you want your robot gizmo to do? My suggestion to IT leaders and practitioners is to look at your business customer and pretend they are a manufacturer – what do they produce? What are the key repetitive processes they engage in, and for what? Help them understand what that main thing is that comes out the end of their manufacturing line, and gear your activities and gizmos toward that thing. This process will result in thinking that is cogent; a tool that is focused; and a user group that is efficient. The most important result, however, will be more stuff produced with less effort and business customers that are enthusiastic fans.
The robot that produces and perfects things is real and useful. While the robot that walks and talks may be super cool, it belongs in the realm of fantasy.