Hello Kris! Good luck with the role play.
OK... let's get this game started (I'm sure we'll get some more accolades as we make some progress).
To recap what we are doing: I will provide a brief vision/problem statement and you (the jr. BAs) will elicit requirements as well as document them in a clear and logical manner.
Backgrond:
CyberBank is an on-line bank providing consumer banking products and services via the internet. The types of products and services provided are checking accounts, saving accounts, CD accounts, and bill payment.
Problem Statement:
While the growth of CybeBank has been phenomenal, over the past year it has experienced significant slowdown in new customer acquisition and the retention of existing customers. The greatest complaint revealed by customer's surveys was the inability to receive cash - as this is no possible on-line. The bank has embarked on an initiative to place Automated Teller Machines (ATM) in key locations. While the ATM machine model has been identified the bank needs software which allows the customer perform certain banking transactions from the ATM terminal.
ATM Software Project Initial Steps:
The first step of the project is to identify and document the requirements for the ATM software in order to determine whether any of the existing off-the-shelf software would meet the needs and budget of the bank.
Regards,
- Adrian (fictional Stakeholder)
Kris
ATM software solution requirements questions
To identify an ATM software solution to enable customers perform banking transactions such as withdrawing cash and checking accounts from the ATM terminal.
(I will be able to expand on this more once all the requirements have been identified)
2
This is an online bank and the bank currently does not provide the option of withdrawing cash online, so:
2.1 Is there an alternative way of withdrawing cash? What is the current process of withdrawing cash if it is not possible online?
2.2 Do Cyberbank customers have to go in person to withdraw cash? (If this is an online account I don’t think this is possible)
2.3 Or does the cash get transferred to a ‘nominated account’ (an account of the Cyberbank customer maintained through another bank)?
2.4 Any other possible scenarios?
I am trying to understand the as-is process if any.
3
Who are the users of the ATM solution?
3.1 Only Cyberbank users
3.2 Other bank users (not a customer of Cyberbank)
3.3 International bank users (not a customer of Cyberbank)
3.4 Cyberbank employee(s) who will have access to do administration/support work of the ATM solution.
4
Types of accounts and what accounts are accessed by the ATM solution:
4.1 What are the different types of accounts? Savings accounts, CD accounts? Any other accounts e.g. cheque accounts, credit cards
4.2 Which accounts are accessible from the ATM terminal? E.g. checking balances and printing account balance may be a possible for all accounts? Withdrawing cash may be permitted only for savings account and not CD accounts?
5
What functions should the ATM solution perform?
5.1 Check balances?
5.1.1 Step by step process of how the function is carried out by the user
5.2 Withdraw cash?
5.2.1 Step by step process of how the function is carried out by the user
5.3 Deposit cash/cheques?
5.3.1 Step by step process of how the function is carried out by the user
5.4 Print account balances?
5.4.1 Step by step process of how the function is carried out by the user
5.5 What administration work is required by the bank employees?
5.5.1 Step by step process of how the function is carried out by the user
What checks and cross checks should be in place? (to help understand the business rules)
Need to understand the step by step process of how the functions are performed.
Need to understand what the required results should be.
Need to understand what will happen if the required results do not happen. E.g. error messages.
6
How will the ATM solution perform these functions?
6.1 Will the user require a password to start the transaction?
6.2 What happens if an incorrect password is entered? What information is displayed in case of errors? Currently the common practice when an incorrect password is entered thrice, the ATM will swallow the keycard (security reasons). Would the Cyberbank follow such as process and if yes how would such an issue be resolved?
6.3 Will there be any verification process with the banks internal systems? E.g. customer account details managed by other systems in the bank
6.4 Will there need to be an administrator to manage administrative features of the ATM solution? If yes what type of administration features need to be implemented?
6.5 What happens when the ATM runs out of cash/envelopes before the set time? E.g. Sunday, public holiday?
6.6 How will the cash be replaced? How frequently will the cash be replaced?
6.7 How will the Cyberbank administrator be notified of such issues (6.6 & 6.7)? Will there be a workflow process to notify the Cyberbank administrator?
7
Are there external devices attached to the ATM solution?
7.1 Keycards, keypad, envelops, cash, printing devices and printing paper.
7.2 Will the ATM use different types of bills. E.g. Notes, cheques, coins etc?
7.3 Will the bank accept only debit cards or will it accept credit cards?
8
Will the ATM solution have to interact with other systems of the bank?
8.1 If yes what data would be required and what is the importance of the data? E.g. account balances.
9
What security aspects need to be taken into consideration for the ATM solution?
10
Any functions that should not be performed by the ATM solution? (Not required to be implemented)
Hi Kris,
Wow... this is great! This is what I expected and more. ;-)
Your list of questions are a great example of the types of questions that the business analyst needs to ask. But I'll let the other Senior BAs comment on your approach and I'll continue to play the stakeholder role by answering your questions. Note that, in some cases, I will try to simulate types of responses that you might get in real life.
So for now, here are some answers to some of your questions from the business/stakeholder perspective:
brought to you by enabling practitioners & organizations to achieve their goals using: