Requirements Elicitation and Review

1. Introduction

• Define business analysis
• Discuss what requirements are and how they are utilized in the analysis
• Reinforce the importance of a good understanding of stakeholders

2. Putting Requirements Elicitation into Practice

• Describe the considerations for planning elicitation
• Manage conflict within the context of requirements and stakeholders
• Describe how to use 12 different elicitation techniques within 3 categories (Collaborative, Research-based, Experiments) to understand stakeholder requirements: Document Analysis, Observational Studies, Interviews, Surveys and Questionnaires, Requirements Workshops, Brainstorming, Collaborative Games, Focus Groups, Personas, Data Mining, Prototypes and Proofs of Concept and Benchmarking and Market Analysis
• Improve your elicitation skills by:
  • Practicing several elicitation techniques
  • Utilizing active listening techniques
  • Enhancing critical thinking skills
  • Using various techniques for increased brainstorming results
• Choose the appropriate technique(s) for your project

Scope Your Area of Analysis

1. Introduction to Scoping

• Define solution scope and explain its applicability and purpose
• Identify the components of scope and explain the purpose of a business requirements document
• Describe the value of scoping your area of analysis

2. Define Project Context and Purpose

• Analyze Strategy for Context
  • Explain how to assess a project within the larger context of the enterprise
  • Identify the documents and information valuable to establishing project context
• Understand Current State of the process, problem, or business area
• Learn to identify the Root Cause
• Document Project Purpose
  • Compose a well-defined problem statement
  • Clearly state business objectives
  • Differentiate business drivers from problem solutions
  • Study problems and opportunities in the organization
  • Define project approach
  • Construct a project glossary and illustrate its value

3. Analyze Business Risks

• Distinguish and express key scope parameters and explain their importance
  • Risks
  • Assumptions
  • Constraints
  • Dependencies

4. Scope Your Area of Analysis

• Determine the business requirements needed to deliver value and solve the problem
• Express scope with graphical representation (Context Diagram)
  • Illustrate components of graphical scope & order of definition
    • Identify external agents
    • Analyze and Identify data flows
    • Determine the project boundary
• Identify the affected Business Capabilities that the project entails
• Detect stakeholders from scope context
• Set up your requirements for traceability
• Discuss ways to manage changes on a project

Requirements Analysis Techniques

1. Introduction to Requirements Analysis Techniques

• Describe requirements and the importance of requirements analysis
• Provide guidance on how requirements analysis techniques are applicable within any methodology
• Compare and contrast the requirements analysis perspectives:
  • Stakeholder perspectives
  • What vs. How and AS IS vs. TO BE

2. Breaking Down Requirements into Core Components

• Define the four core components that make up all requirements:
  • Data
  • Process
  • External Agent/Actor
  • Business Rules
• Describe what the core components represent
• Identify the importance of core components to your audience

3. Using Analysis Techniques to Your Advantage

• Describe how particular analysis techniques:
  • Drive quality analysis
  • Communicate requirements perspectives effectively
• Go beyond documenting requirements solely with text – describe how diagrams and models can also be used for analysis
• Compare and contrast the different requirements analysis techniques when preparing to communicate with your audience:
  • Context Data Flow Diagram
  • User Stories and Personas
  • Decomposition Diagrams and Story Maps
  • Entity Relationship Diagram
  • Glossary
  • Decision Tables and Decision Models™
  • Flowcharts
  • Use Case Modeling
  • User Stories
  • Prototyping
• Create the right analysis approach based on your stakeholder’s learning style
• Confirm the analyzed requirements with stakeholder

Applying Business Analysis

1. Developing an Analysis Approach

• Review elicitation and analysis techniques
• Discuss how to trace, categorize, and organize for better management of requirements and changes to requirements and for optimal communication to stakeholders
• Define Excellent Requirements characteristics
• Workshop Options – What is your Analysis Approach?
  • Use a case study or your own project to discuss and determine the best approach to requirements for the situation OR
  • Use a case study to learn and experience the Agile Mindset and Scrum framework and to understand the timing of and techniques to use for user story requirements

2. Swimming with the Sharks

• Workshop: Work in groups to create an approach for overcoming real-world obstacles that effect projects
  • Describe key strategies for having difficult conversations with SMEs and maneuvering through office politics
  • Describe options for increased stakeholder engagement with a Quick Tip job aid
  • Discuss approaches to resolve conflicting needs, including prioritization options