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New Post 8/5/2010 3:20 PM
User is offline Yellow Postit
1 posts
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Help needed on requirements gathering situation 
Modified By Yellow Postit  on 8/5/2010 6:52:23 PM)

Entry Level BA
Project: New ERP System
Milestones: One month until configuration begins on the new system

We have gone with a software co that has an existing product that they customise based on our requirements. Their output document has been a Business Research Study (BRS) which is being used as the basis for configuration. The BRS has summarised in some cases and "detailed" in others what the customisations are.
 
I have come into the project two years after it started (been in this role 3 months). I wasn't initially hired as the BA and from what I can understand the requirements gathering process occurred through workshops in order to get the BRS about six months ago.  
 
In trying to gather information for what I actually need (current process) I have unearthed a lot of missing requirements so took it upon myself to start collecting them – this has kind of returned some of the stakeholders back to the start or the requirements gathering process.
 
On one side, I have the users saying this is what we want/need and on the other hand I have the PM saying well that isn’t what is in the BRS or it’s completely missing from the BRS.  
Does anyone have any advice on what I should do? I believe that what I have done is valid and important if they are to get the system they want but can’t help but feel as though I should have left sleeping dogs lie and have perhaps I have over complicated the situation.
 
New Post 8/16/2010 12:29 PM
User is offline Anthony Chen
63 posts
8th Level Poster


Re: Help needed on requirements gathering situation 

 Yellow Postit wrote

Entry Level BA
Project: New ERP System
Milestones: One month until configuration begins on the new system

We have gone with a software co that has an existing product that they customise based on our requirements. Their output document has been a Business Research Study (BRS) which is being used as the basis for configuration. The BRS has summarised in some cases and "detailed" in others what the customisations are.
 
I have come into the project two years after it started (been in this role 3 months). I wasn't initially hired as the BA and from what I can understand the requirements gathering process occurred through workshops in order to get the BRS about six months ago.  
 
In trying to gather information for what I actually need (current process) I have unearthed a lot of missing requirements so took it upon myself to start collecting them – this has kind of returned some of the stakeholders back to the start or the requirements gathering process.
 
On one side, I have the users saying this is what we want/need and on the other hand I have the PM saying well that isn’t what is in the BRS or it’s completely missing from the BRS.  
Does anyone have any advice on what I should do? I believe that what I have done is valid and important if they are to get the system they want but can’t help but feel as though I should have left sleeping dogs lie and have perhaps I have over complicated the situation.

 

This is a great question. We use a models based approach called people systems data (PSD). It divides the models into models that look at the project from the people who are stakeholders or who are using it, the systems themselves and the data involved. The really hard part is capturing all the business rules. When you think of requirements most people dont distinguish very well between actions the system can take and then the business rules that need to be configured. When you are implementing a software package a majority of what you are doing is configuration to implement business rules. There are a variety of ways to get the business rules, what we do is use process flows and then map business rules against very detailed process flows. The business rules also map to requirements as well. This is a huge area so it might help if you have specific questions.

You can go to our blog and we have some articles on requirements for migration projects

http://requirements.seilevel.com/blog/?s=migration

 

 

 
New Post 8/21/2010 4:32 AM
User is offline Ujjal Ghosal
1 posts
No Ranking


Re: Help needed on requirements gathering situation 

In this case I think, engage key stakeholders and your PM in a meeting to decide the approach of the project; agree the scope; decide whether to have fresh look at requirements or raise change requests to existing business requirements. But please keep in mind that often what business users ask for as their 'needs/wants' are not what they really need. 

Do let us know how you get along. Good luck.

 
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