Requirements
Getting requirements right the first time Part 1
Date: 01/03/2007
If I had a dollar for every time I hear people say ' you can never know your all of requirements up front'. In this paper, I expand on the myth I covered in an earlier paper and show how it is possible to know your requirements up front. Part 1 outlines why traditional requirements gathering methods are flawed and necessarily lead to the actuality of constantly changing requirements and continuous change requests post launch. In part 2, I show how the humble job description and job analytic methods can be used to define requirements.
Getting requirements right the first time Part 2
Date: 01/03/2007
Part 1 of this paper showed how current requirements methods are flawed. In part 2, I outline how job analysis is a strong technique to capture user requirements. After all, if the application you are building is supposed to help people get their jobs done better, then that's the best place to start. many jobs don't really change that much over time (think of customer service, sales, management). it's easy to get stuck on the superficial characteristics of people's jobs, rather than examine the underlying constants. The core aspects of people's jobs can be used to make your requirements stable over time.
The psychologist as business analyst
Author: Craig Errey | Date: 26/09/2006
Craig Errey explains how Business Analysts need all the skills of a psychologist to correctly capture and document business requirements, concluding that it would be better to employ a psychologist as a BA ...and the play on 'analyst' was not lost on him either!
What is your technology 'BASED' on?
Author: James Breeze | Date: 26/07/2006
In building your last business application did you get requirements from users or test the application with them? Even if you did, you may still have had trouble making the technology work the way they needed it to. James Breeze and Craig Errey explain how engaging users is only half the equation, since technology must be built so that it is entirely 'people based', not 'data based'.
Better interviewing for better requirements
Author: Zoe Soon and Craig Errey | Date: 20/04/2006
The interviewing process is about understanding people, demonstrating this understanding, empathising, and determining the most appropriate course of action. However, the interview shouldn't turn into a counseling session, write Craig Errey and Zoe Soon.
