Some agile software development approaches have as a central tenet the premise that every project needs a full-time, on-site customer who sits with the developers. The rationale is sound. Only knowledgeable and empowered customer representatives can answer questions and flesh out high-level requirements in appropriate detail. Failing to get timely answers or clarification holds up […]
The first article in this series described the critical role of the business analyst in bridging the communication gap between business and IT, understanding project scope, and asking meaningful questions during requirements elicitation. This concluding article continues by exploring several additional contributions that BAs make to a software project. Prioritize Early and Often Requirements development […]
Software managers sometimes assume that every talented programmer is also proficient at interviewing customers and writing requirements, without any training, resources, or coaching. This isn’t a reasonable assumption. Like testing, estimation, and project management, requirements engineering has its own skill set and body of knowledge. Unfortunately, computer science curricula often emphasize programming-related knowledge over other […]
Managers often ask me what return on investment (ROI) they can expect from the money they spend on training, process improvement, and tools for requirements engineering. I can’t give them a nice, tidy answer. As with so many questions in software, the correct answer is, “It depends.” In this article I discuss some of the […]
In the previous two articles in this series I have shared some “cosmic truths” about requirements concepts in general and about how requirements affect the project stakeholders. This closing article in the series, adapted from my book More about Software Requirements, presents four more universal truths regarding requirements specifications. Cosmic Truth #7: The first question […]
The first article in this series presented three “cosmic truths,” realities about requirements that I’ve discovered to apply to virtually all software projects. This article continues with three more such insights, focusing on requirements and the project stakeholders. Cosmic Truth #4: The interests of all the project stakeholders intersect in the requirements process. Consultant Tim […]
As every consultant knows, the correct answer to nearly any question regarding software is “It depends.” I realize that’s not a very satisfying answer, but this isn’t just a consultant’s cop-out—it’s true. The best advice for how to proceed in a given situation depends on the nature of the project, its constraints, the culture of […]
Not every manager is convinced that his team needs to do a better job on requirements development and management, or that such an investment will pay off. Numerous industry studies, however, indicate that requirements issues are a pervasive cause of project distress. The often-quoted CHAOS Reports from The Standish Group indicate that three of the […]
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