Planning Prevents Pitfalls: How Discovery Saved ZPS's Digital Transformation

Would you build a skyscraper without blueprints? ZPS didn't either. Here's how proper planning turned technical chaos into consumer advocacy success.

The Hidden Value of Preparation

When the Slovenian Consumers' Association (ZPS) needed to transform their digital platform, they faced a common executive dilemma: invest in planning or rush to development? Their decision to prioritize discovery and detailed specifications didn't just save the project—it revolutionized how they serve consumers.

The transformation wasn't simple. ZPS's platform handles everything from complex product comparisons to subscription management, with multiple technical systems requiring seamless integration. By partnering with Creatim for a comprehensive discovery phase, they identified critical challenges before writing a single line of code.

Why Discovery Matters to Your Bottom Line

For CIOs under pressure to deliver quickly, discovery phases often seem like unnecessary expenses. ZPS's experience proves otherwise:

• Risk Reduction: The team identified outdated infrastructure limitations early, preventing costly mid-development pivots
• Scope Control: Detailed functional specifications eliminated the "scope creep" that derails 70% of digital projects
• Alignment: Stakeholders across departments aligned on goals before development began, preventing conflicting priorities

"Replacing a more than ten-year-old ZPS solution, integrating with international consumer test databases, and implementing a custom subscription management system... of course, it didn't happen entirely without stress. However, the Creatim team executed this above-average challenging renovation project in an exemplary manner. The planning phase was intensive; we answered numerous questions and follow-up questions. Then things started happening and new horizons began to open up. With Creatim, we formed a partnership in the best sense of the word. Today, our success indicators are rising. We are on the right path and looking forward to new challenges that lie ahead."

Uros Crnigoj
Digital projects lead, ZPS

Technical Challenges Conquered Through Planning

The discovery process revealed five major technical hurdles that would have derailed development without proper planning:

1. Legacy System Integration: ZPS's one-way communication systems required custom API development to enable real-time payment processing
2. Subscription Modernization: Converting postal-based workflows to digital required meticulous mapping of business rules and user journeys
3. Comparison Tool Complexity: Users needed intuitive filtering and side-by-side product comparisons that maintained data integrity
4. Content Migration: Years of consumer testing data needed seamless transfer without disrupting user access
5. Future-Proofing: The solution needed scalability for upcoming AI-guided recommendations and expanded testing categories

The functional specification document transformed these challenges into actionable development plans with clear priorities and technical approaches.

The Executive Takeaway

For CIOs evaluating digital transformation projects, ZPS's success offers a clear roadmap:

• Invest 8-15% of your project budget in discovery to save 30-40% in development costs
• Insist on detailed functional specifications before approving development budgets
• Prioritize scalability and integration planning over feature lists
• Ensure technical and business stakeholders collaborate during the planning phase

Ready to Transform Without the Risk?

Your organization deserves digital solutions that truly deliver. Learn how our discovery-first approach can help you avoid costly mistakes while accelerating your digital transformation.

Contact our solutions team today for a no-obligation consultation on how proper planning can transform your next digital project.