|
Here's the Solution - Now Write the Requirements |
|
Written by Jim Furey, CBAP
|
 If you’re like many Business Analysts, you’re given a solution that you need to provide and then asked to get requirements to solve it. I’ve been handed many projects this way. What do you do? Who knows if the recommended solution is the best solution?
People
The answer lies in the business. There are key individuals that understand the problem. They might be sitting right across the hall, or across the pond. It’s your job to find them. Yes, your first job is to find people not the problem.
Think about the solution that you’ve been presented with as the crime scene. It somehow makes it more palatable for me. The solution got here somehow. Somebody went to a seminar, or read an article and suddenly the light went on. The problem that they were encountering met its solution. They were so excited to get it solved, that when they came to you it wasn’t with the problem, but with their brilliant solution.
How do you find the right people?
So how do you find these folks that can help understand the problem? One way to find the people is follow the data. Start with the solution presented to you. What data will benefit from it?
Who is responsible for that data? Where did the data start and what path did it take to arrive at your solution.
For example, if you’re asked to write an inventory report that shows orders that were not filled. Already we have a few words we can look at:
- Inventory
- Orders
- Filled Orders
Let’s start with Inventory. Who’s the expert with Inventory Control? There are many that understand portions of Inventory Control, but you don’t have time to interview all of them. You need to pick the best one. How do you do that? You could look at the carpet in the department responsible for Inventory Control. It will be badly worn on the entrance to their office or cube.
You could stay a little later, or arrive a little earlier in the day. I think you know what I mean. Find the go-to person. They may not have time for you, but they will have your answers. They might not even be supportive of your analysis, but don’t let that sway you. Some of the easiest folks to get requirements from are those that don’t know what they’re talking about.
You’ve found the right people, so now what?
This is where you get to do the fun stuff. You get to draw a picture of the problem. You can use words or pictures. I usually pick Use Cases or Data Flow Diagrams. For me it depends on the person I’m interviewing. Is the problem becoming clearer if I used a diagram, or is it clearer if I use a written process.
Draw the flow of information
Carefully layout the flow of information so that the person you are eliciting requirements from clearly agrees that you have understood the process correctly. If they just sit there and nod, you’ve lost them. If they take the pen out of your hand and say “no no no, it’s not like that, you’ve missed the most important part”; I’d say you’ve nailed it.
Follow the information from the source to the crime scene (the presented solution). Pay attention to where the information changes the most. For example, orders might change the most when they’re filled. Who is responsible for all of the information that changes in that process.
Draw a synopsis of the steps your information took before it became the problem that you are solving. As the information path becomes clear, the problem will actually become easier to solve. You’ll start to see why the person that gave you the solution actually thought their solution was so brilliant.
Now you can take the problem and the solution back to your stakeholder that requested the solution in the first place and validate that you understand it correctly and possibly validate or change the solution.
Connecting with the right people is a good thing
All of this information will make you a stronger business analyst. Remember that our real goal is to solve the business problem effectively. Connecting with the folks that have a strong understanding of the process will serve you well as a business analyst. Just listening carefully to those that understand the business will break down barriers that seemed impossible to break down.
|
