Step Zero

Your gap is embedded in a certain context. It is entwined with a bundle of roles, responsibilities, situations, equipment etc. In order to find a sociotechnical solution that bridges your gap, you need to identify when exactly it occurs. This is done by depicting the trial context.

This step has two tasks: first you have to identify your trial context and then you have to depict your “as-is-process” by creating a baseline.

Now let’s start with your 1) trial context. 

You will find the trial context template in the Trial Guidance Tool. This will help you to identify key aspects of your trial context. Each gap occurs in a specific situation. This situation consits of people, things, circumstances etc. Don’t confuse this with the scenario you will create later on. The scenario will be one point in time where you find your gap - let’s say: a rainy Saturday afternoon in summer. But your gap most likely also occurs on other days, but maybe only in rainy conditions. Therefore you do a brainstorming session with your practitioners - to identify what is a “must-have” to create your gap-scenario and what is a “can-be”. 

Now that you know your essentials, we can start 2) creating your baseline. 

The baseline is a depiction of the as-is-process that includes all roles, actions and information exchanges (including the means by which they are done). You can use a language called business process modeling notation (BPMN), but feel free to use another method that suits you best.

The trial context template can be found in the trial guidance tool.