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Requirements Gathering: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Elicitation. Requirements Gathering: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?. Dr Eugene O’Loughlin. Agenda. Perception Planning Common problems facing BA Project failures Poor requirements Methodology O vercome problems Lessons learned. Oops!. What does your Business Card say about you?.

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Requirements Gathering: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

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  1. Elicitation Requirements Gathering:What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Dr Eugene O’Loughlin

  2. Agenda • Perception • Planning • Common problems facing BA • Project failures • Poor requirements • Methodology • Overcome problems • Lessons learned

  3. Oops!

  4. What does your Business Card say about you? Perfect Results Every Time! I’m Imperfect! Business Analyst Sorry! Oops!

  5. Perception

  6. What do you see in this picture?

  7. Business Analysts are Organized People? • Organized • Methodical • Planned

  8. Dive in and get started

  9. Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

  10. What the top 2% know that everyone else does not • The best or “alpha” project managers spend more time on every PM process group than their counterparts except for execution, as follows: • Initiating: 2% vs. 1% • Planning: 21% vs. 11% • Executing: 69% vs. 82% • Controlling: 5% vs. 4% • Closing: 3% vs. 2%1* 8 key areas were identified where alpha project managers shine: • Attitude and belief • Communication • Alignment with the organization • Approach and organization • Priority management skills • Issue Management • Relationships and conflict • Leadership Andy Crowe, Alpha Project Managers: What the Top 2% Know That Everyone Else Does Not, VelociteachPress (2006).

  11. Competencies Paul, Yeates & Cadle (2010) p17

  12. Six Common Problems Faced By A Business Analyst • Resistance in sharing information • Irregular attendance • Accountability for decisions • Resolving user conflicts • Real needs vs. perceived needs • Changing needs Overcome? Source: BA Times

  13. The Top Challenges Facing Business Analysts Source: Business Improvement Architects

  14. Project Failures Survey (2011) Source: http://www.pmsolutions.com/collateral/research/Strategies%20for%20Project%20Recovery%202011.pdf

  15. Federal Bureau of Investigation

  16. US Census Bureau – Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA)

  17. Swedish Navy

  18. Why Projects Fail – Poor Requirements • Most business requirements approaches fail on two dimensions • Lack of a true process orientation • Lack of understanding of the neuroscience involved in requirements definition • Being asked what you want out of a system is like being asked what you want out of life! Where do you start? What are the parameters?

  19. Impact of Poor Requirements If business analysts provide subpar requirements, it causes a wide range of negative consequences not only for the current project but for the business as a whole.

  20. Methodologies

  21. Business Analysis Body of Knowledge …BABOK Guide…should not be construed as a methodology for the performance of business analysis. (BABOK p6)

  22. BABOK = Panacea?

  23. BABOK – works “most of the time” Source: BABOK p1

  24. Some Strategies (Austin, Runk, & Waters 2009)

  25. Some Strategies (Austin, Runk, & Waters 2009) Source: http://delphi.com/pdf/techpapers/2009-01-0529.pdf

  26. Flaws

  27. Five common errors in requirements analysis Customers don't (really) know what they want Requirements change during the course of the project Customers have unreasonable timelines Communication gaps exist between customers, engineers and project managers The development team doesn't understand the politics of the customer's organization Source: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/five-common-errors-in-requirements-analysis-and-how-to-avoid-them

  28. SAME O' SAME O'.… • Every project is different, but… • Same people • Same Team Lead • Same Project Manager • Same agendas • Same customs • Same needs Negotiate – Polite – Change

  29. Lessons Learned • What works in Manufacturing will not work in Finance • One-to-one interviews “brilliant”, especially if you want to know a process • Workshops only work if you bring in people from all departments • Use Visio for step-by-step walkthroughs • Use templates • Read legislation • Get on with the Project Manager • Know the issues, risks, and dependencies

  30. Learning from our mistakes • “The hardest mistakes to learn from are those that lack consequence.” Jasper Sole • “No one is exempt from the rule that learning occurs through recognition of error.”  Alexander Lowen

  31. QQI Certificate in Business Analysis • More information at: • www.businessanalyst.ie • www.ncirl.ie

  32. My Book www.theliffeypress.com

  33. Contact Me eoloughlin@ncirl.ie @eoloughlin www.eugeneoloughlin.com www.youtube.com/eoloughlin www.slideshare.net/eoloughlin

  34. Questions/Comments

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