Implementation Planning

SITUATION

Over the last few years, there has been an explosion in the number of services available via mobile devices.  Disney has been a leading participant in this wave of innovation. Fresh off the successful launch of their iPad application, Disney decided to plan an ambitious expansion in the services that are available via iOS and Android phones and tablets.

The primary focus of Disney’s effort was to make streaming content available via a wider range of devices.  However, while this project involved significant front-end challenges, the most difficult strategic decisions were all behind the scenes.  How could Disney source the content in a protected format?  How could Disney align the content with the wide range of metadata and parallel services that added value for the customer?  And, most crucially, how could Disney leverage their technical infrastructure – a patchwork built and maintained by several company divisions – to achieve their goals?

Because Digital Foundry was the backend strategy expert for the first iPad application, Disney reached out and engaged our senior architects to evaluate the company’s technical infrastructure in preparation for the second phase. 

SOLUTION

Digital Foundry proposed a current state assessment project oriented towards discovering Disney’s current capabilities and identifying the steps that would be necessary to actualize their goals.  Disney deployed DF engineers to investigate their current capabilities by facilitating interviews with key personnel and providing access to documentation and code repositories.  We worked with Disney to investigate each of their project requirements.  Taking it step-by-step, Digital Foundry created the flowcharts that documented the user experience and the technical processes required to create the user experience.    

The results of this investigation produced a concrete game plan for Disney.  The final assessment provided the tools Disney needed to produce dramatic new enhancements in a tight timeframe.  Moreover, Digital Foundry provided a coordination plan that specified which of the project’s crucial elements would come from each company division and/or a third party supplier.  

RESULTS

Through close collaboration with a variety of Disney divisions, Digital Foundry helped the Disney project team:

• Evaluate each project requirement in terms of Disney’s current capabilities.
• Recommend the ideal solution architecture for each requirement.
• Create a project plan to accomplish critical enhancements on a short timeline.