Guide to Requirements Gathering

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Guide toRequirements Gathering
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Contents

• What is requirements gathering?
• Why requirements gathering is key
• Requirements gathering activities
• Interview or workshop?
• The six key question types
• The magic qualifier
• Identifying significance
• The Columbo technique
• Develop SMART requirements
• The next steps
• Further assistance

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What is requirements gathering?

• The collection of a set of statements which
  define what needs to be provided by a solution to
  meet the expectations of the sponsor,
  stakeholders and users.
• The collection of requirements is obtained by
  interviews, RAP sessions and/or workshops.

Requirements gathering is used in

• Producing the business requirements.
• Producing the functional requirements.

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Why requirements gathering is key

• If the requirements are incorrectly, inaccurately
  or incompletely specified there is little chance
  the solution will be what is needed.
• Requirements are the basis on which potential
  solutions are assessed.
• Requirements identify what is needed. They are
  not the solution, rather they provide definition
  of what the solution needs to address.

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Requirements gathering activities

• Identify the people who can determine the
  requirements. They must have knowledge of the
  business need.
• Hold requirements gathering workshops and
  interviews.
• Obtain and analyse any relevant documentation.
• Document the requirements.
• Circulate requirements for review and feedback.
• Make updates and seek sign-off.

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Interview or workshop?

• Interview when
• requirements are detailed
• requirements cover many areas of knowledge that
  have specific individuals who are the experts
• differing opinions are likely or are sought

• Workshop when
• requirements are high level
• requirements are focused on one area of business
  in which the participants have knowledge
• consensus is being sought

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The six key question types

• What?
• Why?
• When?
• How?
• Where?
• Who?

I keep six honest serving men (They taught me
all I knew) Their names are What and Why and
When And How and Where and Who. ...Rudyard
Kipling.
Ask the right questions!
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The magic qualifier

• Specifically
• To elicit more details add this word to the
  question.
• For example if told we then approve the
  application ask How specifically do you
  approve the application?
• This will help to obtain better quality
  information.

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Identifying significance

• To determine the overall significance of the
  requirements askWhat is important to you
  inFor example if the requirement is to
  improve the current enrolment process you can ask
  What is important to you in the existing process
  that you would want to maintain in the new
  process?
• To determine the relative significance of each
  requirement askWhich is more important to
  you

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The Columbo technique

• The Business Analyst is the projects detective.
• Anyone who has watched the popular TV show
  Columbo will recognise the style of questioning
  used by Columbo, which is to act as if you are
  not fully understanding and ask the person to
  explain.
• This approach usually puts the person at ease,
  encourages them to provide more details, and
  avoids making assumptions.

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Develop SMART requirements
Make sure the requirement is

• Specific clearly states what is required
• Measurable to confirm when it has been met
• Achievable can be done, eg. technically
  possible
• Realistic is reasonable, eg. cost is not
  prohibitive
• Timely achievable within an acceptable
  timeframe.

If the requirements do not conform to these
criteria the Business Analyst must discuss this
and reach agreement with the requester.
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The next steps

• Business requirements are recorded in the
  business requirements document and are used to
  assess potential solutions as specified in the
  solutions definition document.
• Functional requirements are recorded in the
  functional requirements document and are used to
  produce the functional specifications.

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Further assistance
For additional supporting guides see

• Guide to Communicating
• Guide to Interviewing
• Guide to Conducting Meetings and RAP Sessions