Requirements Analysis: Drilling Down to the Details

As a Business Analyst, have you ever been presented with a two or three-sentence request from the business for a change? How do we convert this “need” into a concise set of requirements that define these problems or opportunities and help recommend solutions that deliver value to the stakeholders and fulfill the business objective?

Let’s figure out…

To begin addressing the “need”, we must understand business requirements - the objectives, goals, and outcomes that describe why a change has been initiated. To get to this “why”, it is important to understand the Current State. This is where upfront analysis is key. If you don’t comprehend how it works today, then how can you properly enact a change? Defining the current state, understanding the scope, and identifying risks, assumptions, and dependencies will help move/transition the business to the future state with a well-developed change strategy that will fill in the gaps.

A great starting point would be to break down the request into bite-sized/manageable pieces utilizing the tools & techniques provided in the BABOK. This approach helps to clearly paint a picture that can be agreed upon by all stakeholders. One method, called functional decomposition, reduces vagueness and ambiguity by dissecting complicated functions into simpler and more manageable sub-parts that can be easier to digest. Similarly, creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) will ensure that all areas are accounted for when detailing out the business requirements.

Once the request is broken down and key components are identified, we can shift our focus to preparing for elicitation activities. This begins with researching the current process and identifying the right questions to ask. Establish a list of clarifying and probing questions that do not leave any room for misinterpretations and will allow you to drill down on the details. Use these questions to collaborate with stakeholders (those directly and indirectly impacted by the change) and gain more insight into the endeavor.

In addition, using techniques such as interviews, focus groups, and workshops is a way to assist in your research analysis by gathering comprehensive evidence about a topic using person-to-person interaction and discussion. By holding communication sessions with the right stakeholders involved in the process, you can learn more and understand “what” is being requested, “why” the current state needs to change, “who” is impacted by the change, “when” this change needs to occur, and even so far as to “what happens” if the change is not implemented. Uncovering this information can help identify the critical success factors and goals that need to be met in order to achieve the business objectives of the project. Furthermore, objectives can then be translated into more detailed key deliverables with desired outcomes to support reaching that future state.

After documenting findings from these elicitation activities, it’s also important to confirm the results received by validating that the information gathered is accurate and consistent. This review can be beneficial to ensure the facts captured are true, non-ambiguous, and may also pinpoint gaps in the requirements that must be addressed.

To describe a change and then gain support for recommended solutions, techniques such as Visual Diagrams help paint the picture and are highly effective. Diagrams can be easier to understand than simply using text because they provide a clear and concise representation of requirements modeling. A picture is truly worth a thousand words!

Another approach, which helps to explain the different possibilities for a solution, is to “model” the behavior of the system. In a sense, one can prototype possible outcomes to help suggest the best approach based on cost, ease of navigation, and execution by demonstrating a solution that meets the business need.

Throughout the project life cycle, Business Analysts should continuously plan and monitor to manage/maintain requirements. Creating a checklist (item tracker) along the way is beneficial to keep track of outstanding questions, decisions that still need to be made, and prioritized issues that arise throughout the project.

By consistently communicating, collaborating, and confirming results, the detailed discovery gathered will be accurate, understandable, and reliable. Drilling down to the appropriate level of detail and describing the capabilities and qualities of a solution will lead to a complete and comprehensive business requirements document, which allows for successful implementation.