At my workplace, my responsibility is to implement new technologies that make it easier for users to operate our devices and encourage them to use our systems. Recently, there was a discussion about what additional features could be added to our system to further benefit users. At that time, I suggested, “If we add a customer support bot here, customers will be able to contact us directly.” Upon hearing my proposal, our operations team was quite surprised. Their surprise was justified—they explained that simply adding a new feature is not enough; someone from customer service would need to be dedicated to managing its operations and answering customer queries. In other words, a team would need to be constantly involved, which would not add significant business value.
After carefully considering the overall situation, I realized that my suggestion had been premature. Simply adding a feature is not enough; we also need to assess what impacts it may have on the business as a whole, and whether it will deliver any business value. I then analyzed the matter further, and today’s post is based on that experience.
As technologists, we often add new features to systems—whether websites, mobile applications, or desktop software. This process is often spontaneous, motivated by a desire to improve user experience. However, when we add these features, it is crucial to deeply consider their business impact and outcomes.
As technology enthusiasts, we are frequently eager to create something new. This enthusiasm often leads us to introduce new features. But in this process, we must remain cautious—especially for coders and engineers developing these features. Before adding each new feature, we need to consider:
- How beneficial will this feature be for users?
- How well does it align with the company’s business goals?
- How much time and resources will its implementation require?
- How will it integrate with existing features?
There are several frameworks and methods for analyzing a feature before adding it to the system, which can help guide our decision making:
- Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC): Various phases of SDLC—such as planning, analysis, design, and testing—can help evaluate a feature. Before adding any new feature, a feasibility study is conducted to assess its technical, operational, and economic impact. This process evaluates user needs and determines how well the feature supports overall business goals.
- Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe): SAFe offers a structured approach that is useful for analyzing and defining features. It uses tools like Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) to prioritize features. This process considers both business requirements and technical implementations to ensure each feature is properly aligned with system and business needs.
- Feature Rollout Strategy: Utilizing feature flags, you can strategically expand the release of features, enabling them for a limited set of users at first. This process allows you to gather user feedback and make necessary adjustments before a full rollout. It helps verify the effectiveness of the feature and assess its actual value before releasing it to your entire user base.
By using these approaches, you can analyze the feature from technical, business, and user perspectives. Therefore, when adding new features, we must look beyond just the technical side and thoughtfully consider the business context, user needs, and overall system impact. This way, we can ensure that each new feature provides real value and helps achieve our overall business objectives.
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