Exercise 5

Pain-Point Priority Matrix

60 minutes The Architect's Shift

AeroAssure Example

EX 5 Pain-Point Priority Matrix

60 minutes

Part A: Extraction (Top 5)

#	Pain Point Description	Source
1	CAPA backlog out of control — 20–40 open items, no prioritization, no visibility into overdue items	CC, PO
2	Document version control failures — wrong revision on shop floor, outdated procedures	CC, PO
3	No centralized compliance tracking — can't answer "how compliant are we?" without days of data assembly	CC, DI
4	Audit readiness panic — no structured prep, scramble to gather evidence 2 weeks before auditor arrives	CC, PO
5	Supplier quality visibility gap — no real-time view, problems discovered after quality escapes	CC, DI

Part C: Scored Priority Matrix

#	Pain Point	Category	U	F	R	Score	Source
1	CAPA backlog — no triage, no visibility	Compliance	5	5	5	125	CC, PO
2	Document version control failures	Operational	5	5	4	100	CC, PO
3	No centralized compliance tracking	Visibility	4	4	5	80	CC, DI
4	Supplier quality visibility gap	Visibility	4	4	4	64	CC, DI
5	Audit readiness panic — no structured prep	Compliance	5	2	5	50	CC, PO

Part D: Two-Column Pain Reframe (Top 3)

#	Technical Symptom	Human Consequence
1	CAPA closure averages 90+ days; 30+ open items	Quality manager dreads monthly review — no progress to report. Lies awake wondering if overdue CAPAs will trigger a major finding.
2	Wrong document revision used on shop floor	Quality engineer fumbles through versions while auditor watches, losing credibility in real time. Customer rejects parts.
3	No single source of truth for compliance	VP of Quality can't answer the CEO's question about audit readiness in a board meeting. Spends weekends assembling data.

Source codes: CC = Client conversation, IF = Industry forum, CR = Competitor review, DI = Direct ICP interview, CP = Conference, PO = Personal observation • U = Urgency, F = Frequency, R = Revenue Impact • Categories: Operational | Compliance | Financial | Knowledge | Visibility | Integration

Your Turn

EX 5 Pain-Point Priority Matrix

60 minutes

Part A: Extraction

Set a 10-minute timer. Write down every problem you've heard from clients, observed in engagements, or discovered through research. Don't filter — just capture.

#	Pain Point Description	Source
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Source codes: CC = Client conversation, IF = Industry forum, CR = Competitor review, DI = Direct ICP interview, CP = Conference/presentation, PO = Personal observation from engagements

Your Turn

EX 5 Pain-Point Priority Matrix — Scoring & Ranking

Part B: Scoring Guide

Urgency	Definition
1	Can wait 12+ months
2	Important within 6 months
3	Should address within 3 months
4	Needs attention within 30 days
5	Critical/immediate — existential risk

Revenue Impact	Definition
1	Negligible — minor annoyance
2	Minor inefficiency — $1K-$10K/yr
3	Moderate cost — $10K-$50K/yr
4	Significant loss — $50K-$200K/yr
5	Existential — $200K+ or cert loss

Frequency	Definition
1 — Annual	2 — Quarterly
3 — Monthly	4 — Weekly
5 — Daily

Part C: Scored Priority Matrix

Composite = Urgency × Frequency × Revenue Impact. Sort by highest first.

#	Pain Point	Category	U	F	R	Score	Source
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Your Turn

EX 5 Pain-Point Priority Matrix — Reframe & Validate

Part D: Two-Column Pain Reframe

For each of your top 8 pain points, write BOTH the technical symptom and the human consequence — what the person actually experiences and feels.

#	Technical Symptom	Human Consequence
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Part E: Client-Language Validation

Write each pain point as a real client would say it. If you can't, you don't understand the pain well enough yet.

#	Client Would Say…
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Part F: Category Distribution

Category	Count	%	Notes
Operational
Compliance
Financial
Knowledge
Visibility
Integration
Total		100%

Additional Notes