Want to Stop Scope Creep Cold?

1. Want to Stop Scope Creep Cold? Dr. Rick Hubbard Serena Software

2. What Happens When…?

3. What Can Be Done? What can be done later in a project to overcome deficiencies—failures—in requirements practices? Spend More Money Rework Take Longer Higher Risk Lower Quality Deliver Less Reduce ROI Squander Opportunity Cost Disappoint Business/Customers

4. I Know, Let’s Use a Tool! The Best Requirements Management Tool in the Known Universe… …in the presence of a flawed process, approach or environment… …is only capable of delivering a bad result… …faster… …that’s all it can do. The Tool is a portion of the critical path Your Requirements Practices are the critical path

5. Crucial InsightRelationship of Tools & Processes Optimizing(ROI) Laboring(Inefficient) Flailing(Ineffective & Inefficient) Struggling(Ineffective)

6. Context & Situation are Critical Understanding Context & Situation enables selection and adaptation of Patterns for Solution

7. Beneficial Beliefs Understanding, defining and reaching agreement regarding requirements is hard Customers are incapable of fully expressing requirements Requirements cannot be completely expressed within a reasonable amount of time ‘Requirements’ don’t mean ‘Required’ Recall: Innovation is something new in the presence of a contradiction(s) and probably a constraint(s)

8. What’s the Difference Between Hollywood and Projects? A Hollywood Story William Taylor ColeridgeWilling Suspension of Disbelief We want to enjoy the story and we know the story is fiction A Project Unreasonable Suspension of Disbelief We want to believe the story and we refuse to acknowledge that it is fiction Bandwagon Effect Choice-supportive bias Confirmation bias Congruence bias Disconfirmation bias Hyperbolic discounting Illusion of Control Impact Bias Information Bias Loss Aversion Bias Neglect of Probability Bias Planning Fallacy Zero-risk Bias Ambiguity Effect Attentional Bias Belief Bias Positive Outcome Bias False Consensus Bias Illusion of Asymmetrical Insight

9. For Example,Ask the Wrong Question…

10. What Can You Do? Some evidenced-based managers recognize that the odds against project success remaining breathtaking…in the alarming sense Some thoughtful evidence-based managers have figured out the factors associated with successful and unsuccessful projects, and then actually use such insights to guide behavior on future projects

11. Requirements Issues

12. Associated Components of Requirements Discern Fact Opinion Belief Suspicion Conjecture Assumption Issue Action Item Alternative Analysis Analysis Framework Theoretical Empirical Conclusion Implication Continued… Benefit Expertise Authority Competence Apparent & Inherent Powers Informed Consent Comment Notion (Idea) Suggestion Recommendation Decision-making Evidence-based decision-making Problem-solving

13. For Those That Heard Yesterday’s Talk, What Were the Two Key Aspects Which are Difficult to—Yet Must Be—Surfaced in a Requirements Effort? Surfacing Assumptions Surfacing Tacit Knowledge

14. Solutions to Certain Common Requirements-Related Problems Origin of Scope CreepGaps in Gap AnalysisIneffective Decision-MakingRevolution or Evolution?Meetings

15. Origins of Scope Creep Breadth-first View Depth-first Perception How Quickly Understand the Breadth? Origin of Change Orders

16. Modified Gap Analysis Initiatives Include Requirements

17. A Rationale Decision Making Model

18. Evolution or Revolution? • Very important to distinguish customer’s desire for evolution or revolution • To achieve your future success, how important is innovation? • What are the implications of the client’s answer with respect to seeking out and adopting “Best Practices?” • The reason why the project is being undertaken is one of the most important, early factors to understand in the selection of a requirements approach • BRIEFCASE IT/Business Case Method • First-mover Advantage • Risk Reduction • Cost Avoidance/Reduction • Increase Revenues • Regulatory/Legal

19. Meetings? A Meeting is an Event Where the Minutes are Kept and the Hours are Lost • We Had a Meeting on That… • The Myth of Sign-off Never Confuse Meetings with Progress n(n-1)----------2 4==65==10 How Important Is This? How Gain Alignment, Expectations, Agreement & Resolve Conflicts?

20. What’s The Real Solution? Select the Right Tool for the Task-at-Hand

21. Partial List of Requirements Elicitation Methods Interviews Structured Interviews Meetings Story Cards Process Analysis Process Engineering Use Case Analysis Ethnography Gap Analysis Modified Gap Analysis Function Modeling Painstorming TRIZ Scope Expansion Tacit Knowledge Expert Assessment Trend Analysis Separation Analysis Feature Transfer Analysis Trimming Methods Focus Groups Unstructured Facilitated Sessions Structured Facilitated Sessions Surveys Competitive Analysis Literature Analysis Gedanken Analysis Empirical Analysis Industry/Regulatory Practices Problem Analysis …just to name a few

22. Requirements Processes Do you know the least effective requirements elicitation techniques? #3 Unstructured Interviews & Meetings #2 The only things worse: Interviews with only 1-2 people representing a single POV Which is typically “Process POV” or “Task POV” Frequently to the exclusion of the “Economic Stakeowner POV,” “Process POV,” or “Task POV” Which rivals…meetings with large groups #1 Absolutely worst of all: Affected Parties (e.g., Managers or Sales Professionals) “No need for requirements, I know what they need.” When requirements elicitation is structured and well managed, the process and the results become more comprehensive, effective and repeatable

23. Have Hope!

24. 12 Suggestions toStop Scope Creep Cold • It’s all about useful interactions and reliable outcomes • It’s not just about the process! (Paradox) • Use this insight as guideline to select elicitation methods • At the start, breadth-first is more valuable than depth-first • Understand the scope and nature first • Can always go deep, later • Understanding expectations precedes making commitments • Those who fulfill the commitments make them

25. 12 Suggestions toStop Scope Creep Cold • Successful systems are first prototypes—refined over time • Make it effective first, then efficient • Fail early, fast & often • When is the least costly time to discover something won’t work? • Focus on making interactions workable (not necessarily working) at the start • Do not confuse meetings with progress • Typical meetings are a waste of time • “Meetings are events where the minutes are kept and the hours are lost.” • Instead of meetings, use expert information collection & dissemination techniques

26. 12 Suggestions toStop Scope Creep Cold • Seek input of all forms (requirements, feasibility, approach, estimates) and… • …from all stakeholders (Execs, Operational Managers, Task-oriented); avoiding another form of scope creep • Stop Groupthink before it starts • Start with all affected individuals then expand to group and cycle (“IGIG” method) • Risk Planning must be visible & safe • Make risks visible • Assure that all project team members can contribute from a “safe-zone” • Risk identification should be viewed as successfully fulfilling professional responsibilities

27. 12 Suggestions toStop Scope Creep Cold • Understand that a schedule is not a project plan • A schedule is a result of a project plan • Activity as a last resort • Fools rush in where wisdom knows to make haste slowly • Cartoon “You start…” • Separate business and technical decision making • “Trade-off” decisions are not technical • Surface and validate assumptions & tacit knowledge

28. What is the Exposure if Your Requirements Elicitation Practices Don’t Follow These Suggestions?

29. What Happens When…?

30. Questions