Prototyping Against Synthetic Data
The Scoping Phase is the first phase of a project and lasts a few days.
Choosing Before Building
Most projects start with more possible ideas than there is time to pursue. Someone has to decide which of those ideas are worth the effort before anything is built. This article is about the stage where that decision gets made, and about one of the tools used during that stage: prototyping against synthetic data.
What do you think happens?
A team has more ideas than time. What should happen before anything gets built?
Reveal answer
Decide which ideas are worth the effort before building.
The source describes the Scoping Phase as the stage where this decision gets made. Its job is to make sure the team is pointed at something promising rather than at whatever idea was loudest in the first meeting.
Where Scoping Sits in the Engagement
The Scoping Phase is the first phase of a project. The source labels it Phase 1 and says it lasts a few days.
Because it is labeled Phase 1, it comes first in the sequence of the engagement. It happens before the real build work starts. The source is clear that the stage has a limited duration: scoping is meant to be a focused investigation that ends with a clear view of options. It should not become an open-ended study that delays everything else.
Scoping is not trying to finish the solution. It answers two questions: what work is happening today, and which parts of it deserve attention first.
Two Ways to Run the Phase
The FDE runs the Scoping Phase in one of two ways. The choice depends on the engagement. Either the FDE goes on site, or the investigation runs through a series of half-day remote video sessions. The source names both options and treats them as alternatives for the same purpose.
| Option | How the phase runs | Shared goal |
|---|---|---|
| On-site visit | The FDE carries out the investigation in person at the customer's location | See the real work up close |
| Remote video sessions | The investigation runs as a series of half-day remote video sessions | See the real work up close |
The source names two delivery options for the Scoping Phase. The stated goal is the same in each case.
Activities From Observation to Options
The source lists the working activities of the phase in a particular order. Read that order as the sequence the source gives, not as a rule that each step must fully finish before the next begins. In practice these activities overlap and loop back on each other. The diagram below shows the order given in the source.
The first activities are about observation. Sitting with users and watching the work give the FDE direct knowledge of what people do each day, including parts that never appear in a formal description. Mapping the processes turns those observations into a structured picture of how work moves. Identifying candidate value areas is the step where observation becomes judgment: the FDE points to the places where a change could matter most.
The last activities are about exploring options. Whiteboarding gives the team a shared place to sketch and argue about ideas. Prototyping against synthetic data lets the FDE try candidate ideas in concrete form before committing to any of them.
The Deliverable Is Shared Understanding
By the end of the phase, the team holds a prioritized list of things that could be built. The list comes with a view of which item is most likely to produce a measurable outcome. The source is clear that this list, together with the shared understanding behind it, is what the phase produces.
What Synthetic Data Means Here
Synthetic data is artificially produced data rather than records pulled from the customer's live systems.
The source specifies that the prototypes in this phase are built against synthetic data. Building against it lets the FDE explore how an idea would behave without needing access to real operational data at this early stage. The diagram shows how that data moves into the work.
Prototypes as Exploration Tools
The purpose of a prototype in this phase is exploration, not delivery. A prototype helps the team judge whether a candidate area looks worth pursuing. Its value lies in what it teaches the team about the idea. It is not meant to be kept as the finished product.
A Hypothetical Scoping Team
A scoping team has four candidate ideas and a few days to decide which are worth pursuing. How does prototyping on synthetic data help them decide?
- 1Gather the candidates
Observation and mapping have narrowed the broad picture to four candidate value areas.
- 2Build a synthetic-data prototype for each
Each prototype runs on artificially produced data, so the team does not need access to live operational records to see how the idea would behave.
- 3Observe what each prototype reveals
Some ideas may hold up under the test, while others may not. The prototype exposes which is which.
- 4Record the shared understanding
The team ranks the surviving ideas and notes which one looks most likely to produce a measurable outcome.
The team ends the phase with a prioritized view of what to build next, grounded in tested candidates rather than the loudest first idea.
Mistakes Teams Make in Scoping
Common mistake Treating scoping as the place to finish the solution
Why it failsThe source says the phase is not trying to finish the solution. Its purpose is to answer what work is happening today and which parts deserve attention first.
Do this insteadKeep the phase focused on understanding the work and choosing where to look next.
Common mistake Letting scoping stretch into an open-ended study
Why it failsThe source describes the phase as lasting a few days and as a focused investigation, not an open-ended study that delays everything else.
Do this insteadKeep the investigation bounded and end it with a clear view of options.
Common mistake Assuming the prototype should be kept as the product
Why it failsThe source states that the purpose is exploration, not delivery, and that the value of a prototype is in what it teaches the team.
Do this insteadUse the prototype to judge the idea, then carry the learning forward rather than the artifact itself.
Common mistake Treating the sequence of activities as strict steps
Why it failsThe source gives an order but notes that in practice the activities overlap and loop back on each other.
Do this insteadExpect to revisit observation or mapping while exploring options.
Common mistake Believing the deliverable must be a polished document
Check Your Understanding
Imagine a scoping team finishes its work with a forty-page document that describes every idea in detail, but it has not ranked the ideas or tested any of them. Does this match what the Scoping Phase is meant to produce? Explain your answer using the source.
Hints
- Look for what the source says the deliverable is, and what it says is not the goal.
- Consider whether the team knows which candidate is most likely to produce a measurable outcome.
Key Takeaways
- The Scoping Phase is the first phase of a project, lasts a few days, and comes before the real build work starts.
- The FDE runs the phase either on site or through a series of half-day remote video sessions, with the same goal of seeing the real work up close.
- Activities move from observing and mapping the work to identifying candidate value areas and exploring options, and they overlap and loop rather than running in a strict sequence.
- Prototyping against synthetic data lets the team test candidate ideas in concrete form without live operational data, and the phase delivers a shared understanding of what is worth attempting next.