Launching or overhauling a digital system can feel like trying to boil the ocean. Stakeholders arrive with long wish-lists, deadlines loom, and every “must-have” feature threatens budgets and morale.

At Alberon we tackle this head-on during our Discovery Phase, applying a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) mindset to tame complexity and deliver rapid, meaningful value.

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What exactly is an MVP?

An MVP is the simplest working version of a product that still solves one core problem for real users. It is not a throw-away prototype, and it is certainly not the full bells-and-whistles release. Instead, it is a lean slice of functionality that you can put in front of people, collect feedback on, and refine.

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Why Alberon brings MVP discipline to Discovery

Benefit	How the MVP approach delivers it
Cuts through the noise	Discovery often begins with a data-dump of frustrations, inefficiencies and “nice-to-haves”. By insisting on an MVP we help you prioritise ruthlessly, turning a muddled backlog into a focused roadmap.
Delivers value early	Rather than waiting months for a grand launch, you get a live solution to a priority pain-point in weeks. Staff see immediate improvements, confidence rises, and momentum builds.
Stops scope creep at source	Every new idea is welcome ― but only the essentials make it into the first release. Future enhancements are scheduled deliberately, not bolted-on in a panic.
Protects budgets and resources	By limiting initial features we cap upfront spend and reduce re-work. Investment flows into functionality your users have proven they need, not what we guess they might like.
Provides a concrete foundation	Each subsequent iteration builds on a working code-base rather than a theoretical spec, preventing inconsistencies and “round-trip” redesigns.

A Walk-Through: From Problem Dump to Targeted MVP

Here is an example of how Alberon can implement a MVP framework for a prospective customer:

The Avalanche of Problems

Imagine the scenario, a company owner calls us in a panic. Sales were stagnating and staff were drowning in spreadsheets. Ahead of our kick-off call she forwarded 37 separate change requests, including:

• A new customer portal
• Automated job scheduling
• Real-time press monitoring
• Integration with three couriers
• AI-driven cost estimation
• CRM dashboards for the sales team

All valid ideas ― but impossible to deliver at once without eye-watering cost and risk.

Discovery: Fact-Finding, Not Feature-Listing

Rather than jumping straight to “solution mode”, we start our Discovery:

1. Process Mapping Workshops – We walked through every step from quote to invoice, capturing current tools, hand-offs and pain points.
2. Shadowing & Interviews – Our consultants sat with estimators, planners and press operators to observe real-world frustrations.
3. Data & Metrics Review – We analysed order turnaround times, reprint rates and customer-service tickets to back instincts with evidence.
4. User-Story Prioritisation – Together with the customers leadership we plotted each pain point against business impact and implementation effort.

The Insight

One bottleneck towered above the rest: estimators spent up to 90 minutes per quote re-keying order specs into legacy software. Slow quotes meant lost deals, confused pricing and overtime for the sales team.

Defining the MVP

With a single, high-value target identified, we agreed an MVP scope:

“A minimum viable product helps entrepreneurs start the process of learning as quickly as possible … it is simply the fastest way to get through the Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop with the minimum amount of effort.” — Eric Ries, The Lean Startup

Everything else (portal log-ins, live press dashboards, courier integrations, etc.) was parked in a structured phase-two backlog.

Designing for Simplicity

Even a “minimum” product should feel slick. We produced:

• Low-fidelity sketches to confirm the data entry flow.
• Clickable Figma prototypes so staff could test the look-and-feel before a single line of code was written.
• A method of procedure mapping how the new tool would sit alongside existing ERP software.

Build, Launch, Learn

• Sprint 1 & 2 (4 weeks total) – Core quote creation, PDF generation, authentication.
• Pilot Roll-out – 6 estimators used the tool for every job for a fortnight.
• Feedback & Metrics – Average quote time dropped from 90 to 12 minutes. Rejection reasons fell by 18 %. Staff asked overwhelmingly for one next feature: bulk duplication of similar quotes.

Iterate & Expand

Armed with data and staff enthusiasm, we scheduled MVP 2:

• Quote duplication
• Automated price tweak for rush orders
• Simple API endpoint so the ERP could pull live quote values

Each increment remains manageable, measurable, and tightly aligned with the customers commercial goals.

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How Our MVP-Led Discovery Looks for You

Phase	Alberon Activities	Your Outcome
Listen & Observe	Workshops, interviews, process shadowing, data analysis	Shared understanding of pain points backed by evidence, not assumptions
Prioritise & Scope	Impact-vs-effort scoring, MVP definition session	Crystal-clear target problem and success metrics
Prototype & Validate	Wireframes, clickable designs, demo sessions	Early buy-in from users and senior leadership
Deliver & Measure	Agile sprints, pilot launch, analytics dashboards	Tangible efficiency gains, ROI you can point to
Iterate & Roadmap	Backlog grooming, phased roll-out plan	Continuous improvement without scope creep

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Why This Approach Works

1. Real Problems, Real Data – MVP Discovery starts with facts, not feature fantasies.
2. Fast Wins – Staff see meaningful change quickly, fuelling further adoption.
3. Budget Certainty – Smaller scope = predictable costs and clearer ROI.
4. Scalable Architecture – Each release is production-quality, ready for the next feature.
5. Cultural Shift – Teams learn to ask, “What’s the smallest thing that adds real value?” — a habit that pays dividends long after launch.

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Ready to tame your backlog?

If your next project feels daunting, let’s talk. Alberon will start small ― and make a big difference together.

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