Category: Requirements
Requirement types, best practices, pitfalls, and other reference.
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John Dewey on Starting with a Problem to be Solved
By starting with the problem, following up with objectives that articulate the definition of success, and then ensuring that requirements and subsequent solution artifacts…
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Benjamin L. Kovitz on Requirements
“Without requirements, there is no way to validate a program design; that is, no way to logically connect the program to the customer’s desires.” …
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Distinguishing between Business Rules and Software Requirements
Many BAs I coach make the mistake of mixing software capabilities with business rules, employee procedures, and operational guidelines when documenting requirements for an…
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Roughly Right, or Precisely Wrong?
John Maynard Keynes said, “It is better to be roughly right than precisely wrong.” This is certainly true in the business of solution delivery.
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Be Kind to your Stakeholders!
The problem is usually not that the stakeholders don’t want to engage, but that we make make communication way too hard for them.
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“Requirements as Inventory” Metaphor
Think of requirements as inventory or as component materials in a storage bin with a shelf life and a carrying cost. Inventory isn’t free.…
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A Requirements Model (Graphic)
There is no perfect, fits-all template or set of documents which will be effective across all companies or even for all of a given…
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Seven Steps and a Nice Little Process Template
I recently read Barbara Carkenord’s book, Seven Steps to Mastering Business Analysis…
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Don’t Forget the Constraints!
In addition to eliciting and specifying the requirements, an important part of the analyst’s value-add lies in helping business stakeholders and delivery teams identify…
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Begin with what you HAVE to do
The simple fact is, you can’t know all the details upfront. You can and should, however, be able to work with your stakeholders to…
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Give ’em Pictures!
One of the surest ways to ensure project success is to get “pictures” in front of the users/stakeholders as early in the process as…
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Time Travel for Context-free Use Cases
Yes, sometimes we BA’s need to think of creative ways to help us withhold the technology and implementation detail from our requirements.
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More on Separating Rules from Use Cases
Keeping business rules out of the flow of events makes a use case easier to maintain and reuse.
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Use Case Basics: Keeping it Simple
A few simple tips for identifying and documenting use cases.
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Could requirements analysis be automated?
Could systems and software be used to take the place of the requirements analyst?