The target image: Why a feature list is not yet a compass

If you start without a clear destination, you shouldn’t be surprised if you end up somewhere completely different. Many companies make a classic mistake here: they confuse the detailed route planning with the actual destination. But while a rigid plan collapses at the first obstacle, a real target image gives the crew orientation even in stormy times.

Compass instead of route plan: The 6 pillars of the target image

A viable target image is not a static set of specifications, but a strategic framework that rests on six pillars:

Mission & vision:
What do we want to achieve in the long term? The vision is the fixed star, not the checklist for the next sprint.

Markets & stakeholders:
What sphere are we playing in? Who are the target groups and what barriers do we need to solve for them?

Benefits & added value:
What specific problems do we solve for the user? A good target image thinks in terms of the experience, not the feature catalog.

Priorities & scoping:
What is the starting requirement and what is just a “nice-to-have”? If you build everything at the same time, you won’t finish anything.

Success criteria (KPIs):
How can we measure that we are on track? Who can evaluate our success?

Framework conditions:
Budget, time and technical limits are not obstacles, but the rules of the game. A goal without limits is just a pipe dream.

The maturity check: pipe dream or real project?

Does everyone involved in your project really know when the mission is accomplished? Do the check:

Targets are poorly documented. Total costs (TCO) are only roughly calculated.

Initial definitions exist, use cases are partially known, rough prioritization is in place.

All key points and KPIs are documented. The economic TCO analysis has been completed.

Fully coordinated, technically and economically viable target image. Accepted by all stakeholders.

Closing the “Gap to Good”

A clear target image minimizes risks and makes success predictable. If important cornerstones of your project are not yet sufficiently clear, the risk of guesswork trap increases. A goal-setting workshop helps to turn a vague idea into a feasible plan with real traction. Only those who know where they want to go can make decisions that make sense today and are still viable tomorrow.

Checklist: Is your target image stable?

Can all stakeholders describe the project objective identically in two sentences?
Have we defined clear metrics (KPIs) that go beyond “go-live”?
Do we know exactly what we will not build in the first step (scoping)?
Is our target group analysis based on data or on assumptions?
Is the target image compatible with our budget and the technological roadmap?

TO THE NEXT PERSPECTIVE

The other perspectives:

1st crew perspective: Who does what, how and when?

This is not about organizational charts, but about real role clarity. Who decides what? Who contributes? What does the communication matrix look like? Commitment only arises when the “you take it, I’ve got it” principle is replaced by clear responsibilities.

More about the crew

2 The starting position: Where are we right now?

A project never starts on a greenfield site. An honest inventory of the existing systems (ERP, PIM, CRM), data flows and processes is mandatory. If documentation is missing and only “legacy knowledge” exists in the heads of individual employees, this is a massive project risk. But who hasn’t been told in response to queries in projects: “Only Klaus knows that, and he’s not here today.”

4. solution: How do we build the bridge between ACTUAL and TARGET?

This perspective identifies the specific differences between the current status and the target image. It translates the black box “project” into a comprehensible roadmap with stages, decision points and clear next steps.

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