How should AVEVA balance expanding the functionality of its AVEVA Unified Engineering software versus maintaining its ease of use for new customers?

Introduction

Balancing the expansion of AVEVA Unified Engineering's functionality with maintaining its ease of use for new customers is a critical trade-off that directly impacts our product strategy and market position. This scenario touches on the core challenge of evolving complex software while ensuring user adoption. I'll approach this by analyzing the current product state, evaluating potential impacts, and proposing a strategic framework for decision-making.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Based on our market position, I'm thinking AVEVA Unified Engineering might be facing increased competition. Could you share how our market share has trended over the past year?

Why it matters: Helps determine if functionality expansion is driven by competitive pressure or proactive innovation. Expected answer: Slight decline in market share due to new entrants. Impact on approach: Would prioritize rapid feature development to maintain competitiveness.

• Considering our user base, I'm assuming we have a mix of long-time power users and newer adopters. What's the current ratio of new to existing customers using the software?

Why it matters: Balances the needs of different user segments in feature development. Expected answer: 70% existing users, 30% new users in the past year. Impact on approach: Would influence the weight given to ease of use vs. advanced functionality.

• Looking at our development resources, I'm curious about our current team capacity. How many dedicated engineers do we have for AVEVA Unified Engineering, and what's our sprint velocity?

Why it matters: Determines our ability to simultaneously expand features and improve UX. Expected answer: 50 engineers, completing about 100 story points per two-week sprint. Impact on approach: Would inform the pace and scope of proposed changes.

• Regarding our product roadmap, I'm wondering about any upcoming major releases. Are there any significant platform changes or integrations planned in the next 6-12 months?

Why it matters: Helps align our strategy with broader product initiatives. Expected answer: Planning a major cloud integration initiative in Q3. Impact on approach: Would influence timing and nature of functionality expansions.