Unearthing Business Requirements

Elicitation Tools and Techniques

Rosemary Hossenlopp PMP, Kathleen B. Hass PMP

• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
• Year: 2007
• Print ISBN: 9781567262100
• eBook ISBN: 9781567263459
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Strategia di business
• Index: Business

A Volume of the Business Analysis Essential Library Series Learn how the business analyst works collaboratively with the project manager and other core team members to create plans that customize elicitation activities to the unique needs of the project. The author presents techniques used by successful business analysts and defines key business analysis terms. Examine the principles and practices for pragmatic, effective requirements elicitation and learn how to work collaboratively with project members and other core team members. Discover the steps necessary to create customized elicitation activities for the unique needs of each project.

Part I

Requirements Elicitation at a Glance

Requirements elicitation is the process of gathering business requirements for a new business solution. Requirements elicitation activities are designed to draw out, extract, or otherwise obtain requirements for a new or changed business solution from business experts. The new or changed business solution may be a manual business process and/or an IT-enabled business system. Before elicitation takes place, the need for the business solution has been identified during the enterprise analysis activities of the business solution life cycle and the initial requirements and scope of the project have been defined. Figure 1-1 depicts the business solution life cycle (BSLC), our common framework for discussion in this series. Refer to The Business Analyst as Strategist: Translating Business Strategies into Valuable Solutions, another volume in this series, for a detailed discussion of the activities that lead up to project selection and funding.

Chapter 1

Introduction to Elicitation

In This Chapter:

• What Elicitation Is Not
• Terminology of Business Analysis
• When Is Elicitation Complete?

Business requirements are elicited by conducting interviews, workshops, note-taking sessions and feedback loops, and quality reviews with various sources to capture business requirements, user and stakeholder expectations, and system constraints and assumptions. Typical elicitation techniques, which are discussed in detail in Part III of this book, include:

Workshop sessions. Formal working sessions with users, business and technical subject matter experts, and project team members and led by a facilitator. The goal of workshop sessions is to gather as much information as possible from a diverse group of subject matter experts to begin to drive consensus on the functions and features of the solution.

Brainstorming. A process that is used extensively in requirements workshops to generate creative and innovative ideas.

Interviewing. Systematic attempt to collect information from a person or group of people in an informal or formal setting by asking scripted questions.

Surveys. Administration of a written set of questions to multiple stakeholders to determine information on customers, work practices, and attitudes.

Documentation reviews. The review of existing system, business policy, and contractual documentation.

Interfaces reviews. The review of system, people, and process linkages external to the proposed business solution. System interfaces define system interactions—which systems provide input, which ones require output, and what medium is used.

Elicitation focuses on understanding what is really needed to allow the business objectives to be met by the sponsor or customer.

What Elicitation Is Not

The elicitation process occurs at the beginning of the requirements phase, as described in the business solution life cycle depicted in Figure 1-1, which is our common framework for developing new business solutions.

Elicitation does not typically produce models—although it sometimes does.

Elicitation does not specify the requirements attributes—although some attributes, such as requirement source and owner, may be identified during elicitation sessions.

Elicitation does not deliver full documentation—it is only the beginning.

Figure 1-1—Business Solution Life Cycle

Business requirements expressly state the needs that a new/changed business solution must meet for the solution to successfully take advantage of a business opportunity or solve a business problem. Business requirements, then, are driven by and derived from the specific business value needed to achieve organizational goals. All too often, project teams begin by focusing on the solution before truly understanding the business requirement. Requirements elicitation activities are designed to give the project team an understanding of the business environment and to gather the customer and user needs that the project outcome is expected to satisfy. Good requirements elicitation practices provide the foun...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• About the Authors
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• About This Book
• Part I: - Requirements Elicitation at a Glance
• Part II: - Planning Requirements Activities
• Part III: - Elicitation in Practice
• Summary
• Appendixes
• Index