Inventory Canvas | How to make a realistic estimate of your digital project

While working out an idea for a new product or service, you come up with all kinds of valuable ideas and insights. This knowledge is in your own head and in the memories of the most important stakeholders. How can you use all these insights to make realistic project estimates? And when you start the development phase, how do you ensure that everything is transferred to the project team? To facilitate an efficient and interactive project kick-off, we developed the Inventory Canvas.

Want to know more about our Inventory Canvas?

Our CTO Jasper can tell you all about it. You can schedule a meeting or send us a message.

Schedule a meeting Or contact us →

When to use the Inventory Canvas?

At the start of a new digital project. For example, when you can use input for writing a project plan. After half a day you already have a first feeling of the feasibility and complexity of your product or idea. You can also fill in the Canvas after your plan and budget have been approved and you can start the actual development. In that case you use the Canvas as a kick-off with your project team.

Filling out the Inventory Canvas

Who joins you in completing an Inventory Canvas?

When completing the Canvas, there are four different roles: The facilitator, decision maker, stakeholders and the product team.

The facilitator is the person who explains and facilitates the process.
The decision maker is the one you appoint prior to or at the beginning of the workshop. When it's time to make a decision, he or she sets the direction.
The most important stakeholders join to bring in all the wishes and ideas.
The product team members give input from his or her expertise and bring first solution directions.

What do you get out of it?

When you have fully completed the Inventory Canvas, you have systematically highlighted the entire project. This ensures that your stakeholders and product team are all thinking along the same lines. You and your team will also sketch out initial solution approaches and map out timelines and dependencies. At the end of the session you will have an indication of the feasibility and complexity of your digital project. In other words, all the information you need to get your project off to a good start!

Would you like to facilitate your own Inventory Workshop?

You can! At the bottom of this page you can download our Inventory Canvas. You will also receive our notes with tips and tricks for the person who is going to facilitate the session. We would love to hear how your session went!