DocumentingBusinessRequirements

An important aspect of any project is gathering and documenting the business requirements. This criticalactivitydirectsallfutureprojectworksoconsiderablecareandeffortisrequiredtoensurethe documentsarecompleteandcomprehensive. A business requirements document represents the direct Call to Action. It must include specific actionitemsforthereader(e.g.approve,forwardorrevise). When creating a requirements document it is important to remove the passions, biases and personal/professional agendas of individuals. The objective is to provide a clear, complete and concisedefinitionofrequirementswhichforms: ThebusinessagreementasdefinedintheProjectCharterforsignoffbytheProjectSponsor Thebasisforallsubsequentsystemsanalysis,designanddevelopmentworkand Thefoundationforuseracceptancetestingandsignoffofthecompletedproject.

Therequirementsdocumentshouldbewrittenusingeasilyunderstoodbusinessterminology.It shouldincludestructuredtablesand/orgraphicalmodelstoillustratekeypointssuchas: Transformationalprocesses. Systemstatesandchangesbetweenthem. Relationshipsbetweendataelements. Processandlogicflow. Objectclassesandtherelationshipsbetweenthem.

Requirementsshouldbewrittenhierarchicallywith: Highlevelrequirementsprovidingsummaryinformation,groupingtherequirementsintothe overallstructure. Detailedrequirementsthatdecomposehighlevelrequirements,clearingupambiguityand providingspecificexamples. Writtensothatiftherequirementsaresatisfiedyouwillsatisfytheusersneeds.

Itisimportanttonotprovidesomuchdetailthatyouareconstrainingthedesignofthesolution.This canoccurwhenyou startaddressingthehowinsteadofthewhat.Ifthishappensyouneedto step backfromtheproblemtorefocusondefiningtherequirements. When defining the requirements documents, the Business Analyst will normally document more requirements than may be reasonable given constraints of time and budget. As a result, the prioritizationoftherequirementsiscritical.Prioritizingrequirementscanbedonethroughtheuseof verbsthathaveexplicitlydefinedmeaningssuchas: ShallorMustMandatoryfulfillmentfortheprojecttobedeemedasuccess. WillSimilartoShallorMust,butgenerallyreferstoactivityintherealworldversusinternal systemfunctionality. ShouldAclearbenefit/riskassociation,butnotmandatory. MayAnicetohaveitemwithlowornoquantifiablebenefit/riskassociation.

Templatesareanimportanttoolfortheanalyst.Theyareaquickstartingpointforaproject,ensuring the Business Analyst doesnt have to reinvent the wheel for each new requirements document. Ideally,thetemplateshouldcoverthecompleterangeofprojectsanorganizationmayaddressasitis easiertoremoveasectionthanitistoremembertoinsertthatsectionforaparticularproject.
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Thefollowingisanexampleofthetableofcontentsforabusinessrequirementstemplate: 1 2 ProjectSummary ReferenceDocuments 2.1 CompanyDocuments 2.2 IndustryStandards Assumptions,DependenciesandConstraints 3.1 Assumptions 3.2 Dependencies 3.3 Constraints TopLevelFunctionalRequirements 4.1 NextLevelSummary(repeatasnecessary) 4.1.1 DetailedFunctionalRequirements(repeatasnecessary) NonFunctionalRequirements 5.1 SecurityRequirements 5.2 DataConversionRequirements 5.3 PerformanceandResponseTimeRequirements 5.4 PlatformDependentandInstallationRequirements 5.5 ParallelTestingRequirements 5.6 SystemInterfaceRequirements 5.7 DataArchival,BackupandRecoveryRequirements 5.8 FormsandReportingRequirements 5.8.1 LocalizationRequirements 5.8.2 Forms 5.8.3 Reports 5.9 TrainingandProcedures TermsandDefinitions 6.1 DocumentationStandard 6.2 DiagramsandModels 6.3 Glossary

Business analysis is as much an art as it is a science. The Business Analyst should consider the culture of the organization to determine how much detail is appropriate and specific senior management requirements for approval. By following an approved organizational template you will find that you should be able to deliver a requirements document that meets your organizational needs.

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|Metrotower1,Suite21294710Kingsway,BurnabyBC | T 604.294.2292

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