Why simplicity is crucial in business

Featured Sponsor

Store	Link	Sample Product
UK Artful Impressions	Premiere Etsy Store

Simplicity is a valuable commodity. People crave it in all aspects of life, but when it comes to complex technological solutions, it takes a back seat far too often. However, in the context of cyber securityAs with identity and access management (IAM) solutions, simplicity is equally essential because friction and complexity negatively impact the digital user experience. When 61% of consumers admit would switch to a competitor with an easier experience, it is critical that companies prioritize simplicity win customers trust and loyalty long-term.

Why simplicity matters

When Apple first introduced the iPhone in 2007, it did not have a copy and paste feature. BlackBerry offered it, but Apple decided it wasn’t necessary and shipped the phone anyway and sold millions of devices. It was a simple device for his clients to use. Limiting functionality wasn’t an easy decision for the team to make, but it demonstrated how ‘simple’ wins customers.

Simplicity is important for a variety of reasons. When users can easily understand how a product works, it makes them more accessible and is used routinely and may increase overall adoption. This is especially important with technology, where complex products can be harder to understand or frustrating to use, leading to avoidance altogether.

When it comes to simplicity, less is often more. Instead of trying to cram as many features into your product as possible, focus on the core functionality that users really need. This will make the product Easier to use and maintain and reduce the risk of vulnerabilities. Every new feature introduces additional security, testing, and maintenance overhead, so making sure everything is impactful is essential.

Resist the urge to add more features just because your competitors have them. When a competitor releases a new capability, it’s really hard to understand if that new feature is widely used or was a response to a single customer request. Don’t participate in this feature battle. Instead, focus on making sure your product has the functionality to meet the needs of your core customers. As you expand beyond your current customer focus, do so with intention. This will help you focus your roles and avoid developing “spray and pray” roles.

Related: Here’s why you should embrace simplicity as your strategy (and 3 ways to do it)

Make simplicity a core value

If you decide to make simplicity a core business value, you need to drive your entire team to focus on that approach. Here are some tips for incorporating simplicity into your product development process:

• Cross pollination — Product managers need to spend more time with each team, not just with engineers. They need to work with designers, the user experience team, and the user research team, as well as customers and customer support teams. Commercial product managers should plan to spend more time with these teams than with engineering. They need to think about the business problems and experiences before moving on to the technical aspects. The user experience should be your top priority when creating any product. This means thinking about how users will interact with your product and designing it in a way that is intuitive and easy to use.
• Create an initiative overview — Any new initiative needs an initial overview. After completing this, create a “back of the box” explanation. This is something that would fit on a presentation slide. Think of this as something similar to a board game box. It tells you what’s in the box, a simple explanation of the game and who would enjoy it. The same applies to products. It includes what problem you are solving, who cares, the value, and whether customers will pay for it. Within the “who cares” category, dig even deeper into the ideal customer profile, type of users, customer journey shocked etc. This planning process puts the customer experience at the forefront before initiating deep technology conversations. It simplifies the process of determining what the final product will look like when delivered. This approach ensures that the technology is at the service of the solution, and not the other way around.
• roadmap reports — The third tip to create simplicity is to internally report the road map state. Instead of just using a feature roadmap with a red or green light to show status, start with the various people affected and how the new feature will affect them and your business. This helps to change the conversation from that functions are being built for as clients are being helped in ways that change their lives.
• Regular team presentations – Encourage your product teams to think simplicity first. Find a forum for your product teams to embrace and demonstrate simplicity in your products and processes. By asking each product manager to come up with something they’re simplifying, you help brainstorm across the team and keep simplicity at the forefront.
• Simplicity as continuous activity – Simplicity can have a huge impact on the success of any product. By keeping things simple and focusing on the user experience, organizations can improve adoption, reduce costs, and improve security. When it comes to identity and access management solutions, simplicity is especially important to improve customer engagement and reduce the risk of vulnerabilities.

But remember, simplification is not a short term project or 6 month activity. It’s a continuous mindset. It must be embedded in everything an organization does.

Related: 5 Ways to Promote Simplicity and Increase Efficiency