In Part I of this series, I presented the problem of finding a new apartment while trying to satisfy the desires of my roommates. Creating user personas to detail what really mattered to my roommates, I was able to detail the main ideas surrounding my roommates. In Part II of the series, I used a decision tree model to sift through unnecessary choices in order to streamline the process of finding an apartment. For my final chapter, I will be wrapping up my apartment hunt with the use of one final model.
After months of turmoil and unexpected delays, I narrowed my list of apartments down to a manageable amount. It was at that moment that I realized I had no idea what steps were required to actually rent an apartment. Up until then, I had either lived in my parents’ house or lived in the condo my parents’ owned near the university. As is predictable, the panic started flying left and right. I dreaded facing another delay. I feared my roommates would become so stir crazy they would start behaving like wild animals!
What to do, what to do? Despite my compact list, I was clueless and felt helpless as to finding a resolution for my problem. Out of unadulterated pride, I refused to ask anyone for help. I am an adult; I need to figure this out.
But, how?
As if I suffered from short term memory loss, I recalled the previous models I created to help solve my apartment woes. That’s it! I would build another model and I would settle into a new apartment in no time. One problem still remained. I still knew nothing about securing a lease to an apartment. My unwavering pride wavered, and I asked my parents for help. After sitting down talking with them, I found I previously completed some of the necessary steps to securing an apartment. From there, the steps were clear and the steps fell into a perfect model. Using a process flow model, I aligned what steps were necessary to complete my apartment search.
While steps may be missing or things may not always seem clear, I found it astounding how much models that are used in requirements gathering and business analysis can fit to situations we experience in our daily lives. On the bright side, my roommates decided this model wasn’t worth shredding to bits.
Going forward just remember, the hardest problems, no matter how complicated, may be easily solved with a simple model and a little brainstorming. The problem doesn’t have to pertain to business or IT. Models can be used to in creative ways to not only solve problems. They can be used simply to gain another perspective or clear up a cloudy task.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to share any personal experiences with this topic in the comments!
