Tag: Specification
-
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…
-
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.
-
A Business Analyst is a Communication Expert
Through communication expertise, a business analyst helps drive successful solution delivery.
-
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.
-
Be an Unselfish Business Analyst!
You may be a great facilitator, an excellent “elicitor” of requirements; your analytical skills may be second to none, but if you can’t package…
-
Quoteworthy: Cicero – Be Brief
When you wish to instruct, be brief; that men’s minds take in quickly what you say, learn its lesson, and retain it faithfully. Every…
-
Quoteworthy: William Strunk – Vigorous Writing is Concise
Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should…
-
Quoteworthy: Aristotle – Rest satisfied with the degree of precision which the nature of the subject admits
It is the mark of an instructed mind to rest satisfied with the degree of precision which the nature of the subject admits and…
-
Quoteworthy: Paul Martin Lester – Words and Images Work Together
Words and pictures are intricately linked in journalism, advertising and educational contexts. Words printed under a photograph, the caption, signal the importance of the…
-
Seven Steps and a Nice Little Process Template
I recently read Barbara Carkenord’s book, Seven Steps to Mastering Business Analysis…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Quoteworthy: George Orwell on "Scrupulous Writing"
“A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus: 1. What am I trying to say?…
-
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…
-
Quoteworthy: Kulak & Guinney
An appropriate and complete requirements specification does nothing to ensure a successful implementation; however, it makes it possible. – Kulak & Guinney