info-tech research group1 requirements gathering world class operations - impact workshop

Info-Tech Research Group 1

Requirements GatheringWorld Class Operations - Impact Workshop


Beyond Practical Research – Workshops Get You To Results

Workshops: Leverage Best-Practices Research & Get to Action

• Unlike other Research firms we believe it’s important to help our members implement improvements.

• An on-site 40-hour workshop, which allows you to make systematic improvements to your core processes.

• Workshops are designed to help focus attention, create alignment, and ensure best practices are put to work at your organization.

• Our workshops help you get to immediate impact and results, and are tailored to your situation and needs.

Workshops: Focused on You Implementing Improvements

• The goal of each Capability Optimization Workshop is to create tangible benefits

and clear improvement as a direct result of the workshop.

• Specific deliverables, goals, metrics & outcomes are established for

each workshop.

• Successful workshops will leverage Info-Tech’s years of analyst experience and

written research, to provide an engaging experience that focuses

on implementing and getting to measurable results.

• Each workshop begins by diagnosing the current state, and then

focuses on designing high-impact improvements based on

best-practices research.

• Three & Six Month follow-up will occur to ensure benefit realization.

Info-Tech Workshops provide the best-practices and implementation support necessary to help an IT leader build a World Class IT Operation

Capability Optimization

Workshop

Diagnose Current State

Right-sizing

Process

Process Design

Measuring Benefits

Implementation Support


Poorly executed requirements gathering causes:

Business needs that get lost in the translation between the initial the request and final output.

Inadequate solutions or cost overruns and dissatisfaction with IT.

Stakeholders not seeing the value in the methodologies, and workaround the process.

Inconsistent project execution, which leads to inconsistent outcomes.

Unnecessary technology purchase risks without a clear understanding of what the proposed solution must provide.

Well executed requirements gathering results in:

Consistent approach from project to project, resulting in more predictable outcomes. Solutions that meet the business need on the surface and under the hood. Reduced risk on fast-track projects by establishing a right-sized approach. Requirements team that can drive process improvement and improved execution. Confidence when exploring solution alternatives.

What is Requirements Gathering?

A set of practices that will ensure that IT project deliverables align with the real goals of the business.


Workshop Schedule & Core Deliverables

Name Goal Core Deliverable

Day 1

Developing Your Requirements Methodologies

Develop a set of requirements methodologies to support a range of project types.

• Business Analysis Planning and Methodology

• Requirements Methodology

Day 2

Building and Managing Requirements

Develop processes for building business cases, developing requirements, and prioritizing & optimizing requirements.

• Requirements Gathering Process• Requirements Management Process• Business and Stakeholder

Requirements Gathering Process• Requirements Prioritization and

Optimization Process

Day 3

Solution Assessment and Validation

Develop processes for making build vs. buy decisions, solution selection, and validating project success.

• Build vs. Buy Decision-Making Processes

• Buy Projects – Selection Processes• Build Projects – Specification Processes

Day 4

Governance and Continuous Improvement

Develop processes for approvals and change management, improving team performance, and periodic review and improvement of the requirements methodologies.

• Managing Approvals, Changes, and Requirements Risk

• Optimizing Requirements Team Performance

• Continuous Improvement of Requirements Processes andTools

Day 5

Review SOP and DebriefReview the recommended Standard Operating Procedures and address any outstanding issues.

• Final SOP• List of outstanding requirements


Day 1: Developing Your Requirements Methodologies

1.1 Understanding Your Current State & Setting

Workshop Goals

Whiteboard your current overall process and requirements steps

Identify and explore pain points in current processes

Understand requirements processes in Plan- and Change-

driven environments

Set workshop goals

1.2 Developing Your Requirements Planning

Methodologies

Evaluate the need for a Process Methodology Library

Define a process for selecting and adapting a requirements

approach

1.3 Refining Your Requirements Planning

Methodologies

Review historical requirements documents & assess issues/

opportunities

Right-size the Requirement Templates / Agile

Lifecycle

Optimize the requirement activities, communication, and

stakeholder analysis /Agile Lifecycle

Document SOP and Process Methodology Templates


Day 2: Building & Managing Requirements

2.1 Analyze the Elicitation Process

Understanding elicitation techniques, and which ones

to use

Preparing for and conducting elicitation

activities

2.2 Analyze the Requirements

Management Process

Managing solution scope, requirements, and conflict

Managing traceability and re-use

2.3 Analyze the Enterprise Analysis

Process

Defining the business need

Current capability gap analysis

Solution approach selectionFinalize requirements

deliverables, format and communication

Documenting and confirming elicitation

techniques

Solution scope definition

2.4 Analyze Requirements Analysis Process

Specifying & modeling requirements

Defining assumptions and constraints

Prioritizing and organizing requirements

Verifying requirements

Define the business case Validating requirements


Day 3: Solution Assessment & Validation

3.1 Build vs. BuyDecision Process

Analyze historical Build vs. Buy decisions and

examples

Whiteboard the current process for Build vs. Buy

decisions

3.2 Buy Projects – Selection Process

Right-sizing acquisition processes

Whiteboard high-levelacquisition processes

Refine, clarify, and optimize Buy requirements

3.3 Build Projects – Specification Process

Refine, clarify, and optimize requirements for Build and

Integration projects

Evaluate Build/Integrate project processes and

examples

Improve Build/Integrate estimation processes

Optimize and document the requirements-based

selection process

Assess proposed solutions and allocate requirements

Determine key Build vs. Buy decision criteria

Optimize and document Project Charter input

processes

3.4 Solution Validation & Performance Evaluation

Validating solutions

Evaluating solution performance

Optimize and document the Build vs. Buy decision

process

Establish validation processes and solution

performance metrics


Day 4: Governance & Continuous Improvement

4.1 Managing Approvals, Changes &

Requirements Risk

Optimize the process for approval and sign off with

Business Sponsors

Manage the three stages of business case,

requirements and solution approval

4.2 Optimizing Requirements Team

Performance

Review organizational roles and responsibilities

Review BA Organizational Design

Review BA staff & skills development

4.3 Continuous Improvement of

Processes & Tools

Review requirements methodologies,

re-use and IT standards

Review Requirements tool usage and suitability

Review continual process improvement methodology

Review BA Performance Assessment systems

Manage to IT and Corporate standards

Manage Requirements risks, mitigation, and

acceptance

Review Requirements monitoring, reporting &

success metrics

4.4 Managing Stakeholder Feedback &

Expectations

Educate stakeholders on process and manage

expectations

Establish a regular feedback mechanism


Day 5: Review SOP & Debrief

5.1: Review Final SOP

Review Purpose and Scope

Review Processes and Reporting

Review Roles and Responsibilities

5.2: Conduct Workshop Debrief

Review Goals

Address Outstanding Issues


We liked it a lot, I thought it added a lot of value, we

learned a lot, we are definitely going to

streamline our process.

Really added a lot of value to have someone who had a

deeper understanding of not just the BA role but

information services, someone who could go

beyond the X’s and O’s of the business analyst role.

-ManufacturingCompany

Client Testimonials

I told them when we left today, I don’t know if I

would be able to express the value that we got out

of the week. I feel like we have a place to go.

-Insurance Company


Requirements Gathering Workshop Primary Deliverable: Best Practice Approach to Requirements Gathering Customized to your Process

• Refined methodologies and supporting processes to improve requirements accuracy and stakeholder satisfaction.

• Processes and tools to ensure optimal build vs. buy decisions and project outcomes.

• Ensuring continuous skills and process improvements through a BA Governance SOP.

Requirements Gathering Methodology

Requirements Gathering SOP

Responsibility Assignment Matrix


Defining Requirements Workshop Core Deliverables

Nine Key Deliverables will be completed during the Workshop:

1

2

3

4

Business Analysis Planning & Methodology

• Understand how to approach Business Analysis Planning.

• Document a high-level SOP for Business Analysis Planning.

Business & Stakeholder Requirements Gathering Process

• Develop a set of requirements methodologies to support a range of project types.

• Develop processes for building business cases, and developing requirements.

• Create templates to support requirements definition.

Requirements Prioritization and Optimization Process

• Develop processes for prioritizing requirements.

• Optimize key processes associated with completion of business cases and enterprise analysis.

Build vs. Buy Decision Making Process

• Develop a right-sized set of reusable Build vs. Buy processes and decision support tools

Buy Projects – Selection Processes

• Develop acquisition-supporting processes so that Buy projects can be executing efficiently and effectively.

5


Defining Requirements Workshop Core Deliverables

6

7

8

Nine Key Deliverables will be completed during the Workshop:

Build Projects – Specification Processes

• Develop project-supporting processes so that Build and Integration projects can be executed efficiently and effectively.

Managing Approvals, Changes & Requirements Risk

• Ensure stakeholders know what to expect from the new process

• Develop governance processes

Optimizing Requirements Team Performance

• Get the most out of your BA team: better business outcomes and a more satisfied workforce.

Continuous Improvements of Requirements Processes & Tools

• Ensure your processes don’t stagnate and make sure that they keep pace with your organizational maturity.

• Develop techniques for keeping your processes in tip-top shape

9


Requirements Gathering Workshop:Built on World Class Research, Experience, and Standards

Research Process

COBIT Driven

• Grounded in open international standards

• BAI02 ManageRequirements Definition

• Team with over 30 years experience

• Over 2,800 hours of research• Based on primary and in-field

research

Tools & Templates

• 198 page Research Report• 15 in-depth activities and exercises

• Responsibility Assignment Matrix• Requirements Log• Gap Analysis Template• Requirements Verification

Checklist• Requirements Traceability Matrix• Risk Analysis and Management

Plan• Stakeholder Analysis Plan• Communication Plan

info-tech research group1 requirements gathering world class operations - impact workshop

Documents