December 17, 2024 • 11 mins
🎙️ In this episode of BA Bites, we delve into real-world examples and case studies to share 10 ways to speed up capturing requirements in your projects.
From thorough preparation to leveraging Agile techniques, we've got you covered. Join us as we explore effective tips and strategies that have led to significant improvements in various industries.
Tune in and enhance your requirement gathering process today! 🌟"
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
The better. Business Analysis.
Institute. Presence the Better Business
Analysis Podcast with Benjamin Walsh hello and welcome back to
the Better Business analysis podcast with Benjamin Walsh and. 00:00:19,480 This week on BA Bytes.
We are going to follow. Ten ways.
(00:22):
In which you can speed up your requirements.
Capture process. So let's dive into the top ten.
Number one is to prepare thoroughly.
First up, your preparation is. Your best friend.
Before you even start capturing requirements, make sure you
(00:46):
understand the scope of the project.
The objectives and the stakeholders.
You can gather. Existing documentation.
And if. Possible have.
Pre meetings. With stakeholders.
So you kind of understand where they're coming from.
You can understand the. Expectations.
And you can build. Influence and rapport with these
(01:08):
people. Don't underestimate.
How much rapport is part of the job of ABA?
If you prep, it will save you time and reduce the need for
rework, and it will ensure that they've already built a little
bit. Of trust for the stakeholders.
#2 is to use templates. And checklists.
(01:28):
You should have had some training if you haven't.
Then jump online do one of our courses.
And you'll get a. Bunch of templates.
You need to have templates. You need to.
Have checklists. And they are a game changer.
If. You're not prepared, so they
provide a structured format thatensure that you're not missing
(01:48):
anything. Gives you some guidance by.
Working top to bottom. And whether or not it's a
requirements document, template,a user story, or use case,
having a template streamlines the process and just keeps
everything. Organized.
It also allows you to, like I said, follow.
Certain. Steps and.
Understand the artifacts you're going to produce. #3 is to
(02:11):
leverage existing requirements. The number of times I've started
on a project where the pro I. Was not the first person to
attempt a project. Does that make?
Sense where you're brought. In and.
There's already ABA who started it or you know it just this
project had. Tried to get off the ground.
And there was a business case written a few times or a PED.
(02:33):
There's usually. Documentation, or at least a
back story. So don't reinvent the wheel.
Leverage existing requirements from previous projects.
And industry standards in addition to the work that's
already been done so. If there are a set of
requirements that are very very similar for a.
(02:53):
Piece of work that's just gone live.
Maybe it's a report on a website, your government
website. Some of the requirements.
Are going to be the same, so there's no point in you.
Re litigating. Those especially you non
functionals. There's also industry standards,
I mean. If there's web standards, web
accessibility standards, there'salready some good checklist for
that. Often you can adapt these and
(03:16):
fit it to your. Current project needs.
And it saves you time. And ensures consistency and
alignment with industry standards so you don't miss
anything. I do this often.
I probably don't do it enough. Because you want.
To start fresh, and you know youdo you want your requirements to
reflect what the customer wants.But I'd have to say as I get
more and more experience into more and more.
(03:37):
Projects. Sometimes the customer isn't the
environment. You're in.
They don't necessarily know what's best.
In terms of best practice and best standards, so maybe some of
those should be sourced externally quickly and then you
should focus on what matters as unique to that customer. #4 is
(03:59):
to conduct. Effective.
Workshops Workshops are a great way of capturing requirements.
Really quickly. Make sure they're well planned
and they have a clear agenda. Everyone knows what that they're
for. Look up Power Start if you want
an idea about. Doing good agendas they.
Understand the objectives you need to use techniques like
(04:21):
brainstorming and role-playing storyboarding, grouping themes
together together comprehensive requirements in a collaborative
setting. And so I'd say you can do it in
a room with post. It's a large room, big room
thinking if you've. Got say 8 up to 8 people.
If you've got more than that andI would even suggest.
(04:41):
Over 12 is just too much. You need to break those down
into different sessions. Try and use a collaborative
tool. Like a mirror or mural online,
It's actually better to do it online if you've got a large
amount of people. Or if there's ever a suggestion
of hybrid, Hybrid never works. So do online then if you can't
get all your stakeholders in a. Physical room, but in a room you
(05:04):
can't beat it. And #5 is to engage stakeholders
early and often. So early and frequent
stakeholder. Engagement is critical.
I have been involved in many projects where.
That isn't done. Or, you know, you may have had a
change manager. Or you don't have one or
engagement. Sometimes falls in in the middle
(05:26):
and isn't. Just isn't done well.
By the. PM as ABA you can step into.
That space, but there's specificskills.
To do that if there is no one doing it.
Just do it just. Put your hand up and start.
Pushing it through. Those regular touch points help
clarify requirements, they prevent misunderstanding, they
(05:47):
streamline communication, they they stop a hierarchy situation
from happening. And you know everyone like
referring to documents and what I said on.
Wednesday the. 19th. And you?
Know having to write down every single conversation.
You've had it's a disaster. It's just a time waster and adds
no value, so if you're engaging with.
Stakeholders, you won't get to that point.
(06:09):
Now you can use various methods like interviews, surveys, focus
groups, right And to get different perspectives as well.
So it's not just around having a.
Conversation or a one-on-one? But make sure you don't often
check in product. Owner meeting should be.
Ideally it stand ups but if. You're not doing that then once
a week, number six. Is to utilize visual.
(06:34):
AIDS OK. A picture is worth 1000 words,
so using visual aids like flow charts, diagrams, wireframes to
capture. And communicate requirements.
Is is highly effective visuals can simplify complex information
into like rolling on up. I always say, look, if we, if we
just. Pull this all back up.
(06:55):
This is. The diagram we're looking at,
let's just focus. On the inputs and outputs and
black. Box the middle bit and make it
just makes it easier for stakeholders.
To understand. And provide feedback and
especially if you're dealing with.
Different levels of stakeholder with different levels of
knowledge. Visual aids are so useful.
I always I know people go on about death by PowerPoint, but I
(07:17):
use it as a communication method, not as a presentation
method. #7 is to adopt. Agile techniques.
We've talked about agile a lot, but the spirit of agile like
some. Of the methodologies in there
like scrum stand. UPS.
Continuous improvement. If you utilize the the best bits
(07:39):
of agile, you can significantly speed up the requirements.
Capture process. And so like using user stories,
grooming a backlog of items, getting feedback loops, allowing
for continuous refinement and prioritization of requirements
in the. Culture around it.
Can also speed up. What you need to do?
(08:01):
#8 is to use those collaborativetools.
Not just some workshops. But also in the delivery side
and. Design side.
So JIRA, Confluence, Trello, DevOps, these tools facilitate
real time capture. Really important.
And. Communications, so when you're
updating it, people can go therestraight away.
(08:22):
Document sharing, tracking of progress.
It makes it easy to capture and manage requirements effectively,
but also allow you to be nimble real time and only have to enter
the. Information once and then for
people to be able to source thatinformation through reports
outputs using the same tool. #9 I can't stress this enough, and
(08:46):
I keep reminding myself is to define clear acceptance
criteria. Clear acceptance criteria are
essential for ensuring that requirements are understood and
met. They should be in the word of
the user. More simple.
Than the. Requirement themselves.
They can be used in UAT and theyhelp clarify scope of the
(09:08):
requirement even though scope should.
Have been. Defined upfront, this really is
down to the brusk tacks of what?You're actually going to get at
go live. They provide a measurable way to
validate the requirements and whether or not they've been
implemented correctly in the eyeof the beholder, but it reduces
ambiguity and rework. And they're so, they're so
(09:29):
important. And I've literally just taken
some accepting criterias from requirements.
Of turn them. Into some users.
Acceptance testing. Scripts.
Today so. There you go.
And equally also acceptance measures or measures of.
Success which? Are acceptance criteria and A
and a statement. Of work.
(09:50):
Today. So there you go, really good
ways of. Utilizing that so if you're not
ABA you. Can still.
Use these in sales documents as well.
And #10 is to practice. Effective communication.
I say communication so often on this podcast.
It's really sometimes we've dug into that about.
About what communication means. What I mean here is that
(10:14):
effective communication not onlyis the cornerstone of any
successful requirements gathering process, and it's
about being clear, concise and open to feedback.
Active listing and empathy go a long way in understanding
stakeholders needs and ensure that requirements are captured
(10:37):
accurately. So be a great communicator.
So that's 10 tips to speed up your requirements, capture
process and make your projects more efficient.
If you've enjoyed listening to this episode, share with your
friends, add a review or comment.
At the bottom of the podcast andI'll see you next week.
The better. Business Analysis.
Institute. Presence the Better Business
Analysis Podcast with Benjamin Walsh hello and welcome back to
the Better Business analysis podcast with Benjamin Walsh and. 00:00:19,480 This week on BA Bytes.
We are going to follow. Ten ways.
(00:22):
In which you can speed up your requirements.
Capture process. So let's dive into the top ten.
Number one is to prepare thoroughly.
First up, your preparation is. Your best friend.
Before you even start capturing requirements, make sure you
(00:46):
understand the scope of the project.
The objectives and the stakeholders.
You can gather. Existing documentation.
And if. Possible have.
Pre meetings. With stakeholders.
So you kind of understand where they're coming from.
You can understand the. Expectations.
And you can build. Influence and rapport with these
(01:08):
people. Don't underestimate.
How much rapport is part of the job of ABA?
If you prep, it will save you time and reduce the need for
rework, and it will ensure that they've already built a little
bit. Of trust for the stakeholders.
#2 is to use templates. And checklists.
(01:28):
You should have had some training if you haven't.
Then jump online do one of our courses.
And you'll get a. Bunch of templates.
You need to have templates. You need to.
Have checklists. And they are a game changer.
If. You're not prepared, so they
provide a structured format thatensure that you're not missing
(01:48):
anything. Gives you some guidance by.
Working top to bottom. And whether or not it's a
requirements document, template,a user story, or use case,
having a template streamlines the process and just keeps
everything. Organized.
It also allows you to, like I said, follow.
Certain. Steps and.
Understand the artifacts you're going to produce. #3 is to
(02:11):
leverage existing requirements. The number of times I've started
on a project where the pro I. Was not the first person to
attempt a project. Does that make?
Sense where you're brought. In and.
There's already ABA who started it or you know it just this
project had. Tried to get off the ground.
And there was a business case written a few times or a PED.
(02:33):
There's usually. Documentation, or at least a
back story. So don't reinvent the wheel.
Leverage existing requirements from previous projects.
And industry standards in addition to the work that's
already been done so. If there are a set of
requirements that are very very similar for a.
(02:53):
Piece of work that's just gone live.
Maybe it's a report on a website, your government
website. Some of the requirements.
Are going to be the same, so there's no point in you.
Re litigating. Those especially you non
functionals. There's also industry standards,
I mean. If there's web standards, web
accessibility standards, there'salready some good checklist for
that. Often you can adapt these and
(03:16):
fit it to your. Current project needs.
And it saves you time. And ensures consistency and
alignment with industry standards so you don't miss
anything. I do this often.
I probably don't do it enough. Because you want.
To start fresh, and you know youdo you want your requirements to
reflect what the customer wants.But I'd have to say as I get
more and more experience into more and more.
(03:37):
Projects. Sometimes the customer isn't the
environment. You're in.
They don't necessarily know what's best.
In terms of best practice and best standards, so maybe some of
those should be sourced externally quickly and then you
should focus on what matters as unique to that customer. #4 is
(03:59):
to conduct. Effective.
Workshops Workshops are a great way of capturing requirements.
Really quickly. Make sure they're well planned
and they have a clear agenda. Everyone knows what that they're
for. Look up Power Start if you want
an idea about. Doing good agendas they.
Understand the objectives you need to use techniques like
(04:21):
brainstorming and role-playing storyboarding, grouping themes
together together comprehensive requirements in a collaborative
setting. And so I'd say you can do it in
a room with post. It's a large room, big room
thinking if you've. Got say 8 up to 8 people.
If you've got more than that andI would even suggest.
(04:41):
Over 12 is just too much. You need to break those down
into different sessions. Try and use a collaborative
tool. Like a mirror or mural online,
It's actually better to do it online if you've got a large
amount of people. Or if there's ever a suggestion
of hybrid, Hybrid never works. So do online then if you can't
get all your stakeholders in a. Physical room, but in a room you
(05:04):
can't beat it. And #5 is to engage stakeholders
early and often. So early and frequent
stakeholder. Engagement is critical.
I have been involved in many projects where.
That isn't done. Or, you know, you may have had a
change manager. Or you don't have one or
engagement. Sometimes falls in in the middle
(05:26):
and isn't. Just isn't done well.
By the. PM as ABA you can step into.
That space, but there's specificskills.
To do that if there is no one doing it.
Just do it just. Put your hand up and start.
Pushing it through. Those regular touch points help
clarify requirements, they prevent misunderstanding, they
(05:47):
streamline communication, they they stop a hierarchy situation
from happening. And you know everyone like
referring to documents and what I said on.
Wednesday the. 19th. And you?
Know having to write down every single conversation.
You've had it's a disaster. It's just a time waster and adds
no value, so if you're engaging with.
Stakeholders, you won't get to that point.
(06:09):
Now you can use various methods like interviews, surveys, focus
groups, right And to get different perspectives as well.
So it's not just around having a.
Conversation or a one-on-one? But make sure you don't often
check in product. Owner meeting should be.
Ideally it stand ups but if. You're not doing that then once
a week, number six. Is to utilize visual.
(06:34):
AIDS OK. A picture is worth 1000 words,
so using visual aids like flow charts, diagrams, wireframes to
capture. And communicate requirements.
Is is highly effective visuals can simplify complex information
into like rolling on up. I always say, look, if we, if we
just. Pull this all back up.
(06:55):
This is. The diagram we're looking at,
let's just focus. On the inputs and outputs and
black. Box the middle bit and make it
just makes it easier for stakeholders.
To understand. And provide feedback and
especially if you're dealing with.
Different levels of stakeholder with different levels of
knowledge. Visual aids are so useful.
I always I know people go on about death by PowerPoint, but I
(07:17):
use it as a communication method, not as a presentation
method. #7 is to adopt. Agile techniques.
We've talked about agile a lot, but the spirit of agile like
some. Of the methodologies in there
like scrum stand. UPS.
Continuous improvement. If you utilize the the best bits
(07:39):
of agile, you can significantly speed up the requirements.
Capture process. And so like using user stories,
grooming a backlog of items, getting feedback loops, allowing
for continuous refinement and prioritization of requirements
in the. Culture around it.
Can also speed up. What you need to do?
(08:01):
#8 is to use those collaborativetools.
Not just some workshops. But also in the delivery side
and. Design side.
So JIRA, Confluence, Trello, DevOps, these tools facilitate
real time capture. Really important.
And. Communications, so when you're
updating it, people can go therestraight away.
(08:22):
Document sharing, tracking of progress.
It makes it easy to capture and manage requirements effectively,
but also allow you to be nimble real time and only have to enter
the. Information once and then for
people to be able to source thatinformation through reports
outputs using the same tool. #9 I can't stress this enough, and
(08:46):
I keep reminding myself is to define clear acceptance
criteria. Clear acceptance criteria are
essential for ensuring that requirements are understood and
met. They should be in the word of
the user. More simple.
Than the. Requirement themselves.
They can be used in UAT and theyhelp clarify scope of the
(09:08):
requirement even though scope should.
Have been. Defined upfront, this really is
down to the brusk tacks of what?You're actually going to get at
go live. They provide a measurable way to
validate the requirements and whether or not they've been
implemented correctly in the eyeof the beholder, but it reduces
ambiguity and rework. And they're so, they're so
(09:29):
important. And I've literally just taken
some accepting criterias from requirements.
Of turn them. Into some users.
Acceptance testing. Scripts.
Today so. There you go.
And equally also acceptance measures or measures of.
Success which? Are acceptance criteria and A
and a statement. Of work.
(09:50):
Today. So there you go, really good
ways of. Utilizing that so if you're not
ABA you. Can still.
Use these in sales documents as well.
And #10 is to practice. Effective communication.
I say communication so often on this podcast.
It's really sometimes we've dug into that about.
About what communication means. What I mean here is that
(10:14):
effective communication not onlyis the cornerstone of any
successful requirements gathering process, and it's
about being clear, concise and open to feedback.
Active listing and empathy go a long way in understanding
stakeholders needs and ensure that requirements are captured
(10:37):
accurately. So be a great communicator.
So that's 10 tips to speed up your requirements, capture
process and make your projects more efficient.
If you've enjoyed listening to this episode, share with your
friends, add a review or comment.
At the bottom of the podcast andI'll see you next week.
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