Statistics: (5229 Views) (0 Comments) Print Posted: Thursday, August 21, 2008 Categories: Requirements Analysis (BABOK KA), Business Analysis Planning (BABOK KA), Requirements Management and Communication (BABOK KA), Tools

Proper requirements analysis is a major contributor to software project success, but a recent study of business analysts at Fortune 500 companies revealed that resources and best practices are often lacking when it comes to this crucial phase of the software development life cycle.

The study, "The Role of the Business Analyst" from Web analyst firm Voke Inc., found that the average Fortune 500 software project costs $3.2 million and takes 1,290 months to complete. Yet only 37% of respondents answered "yes" when asked if their projects met users' needs.

While those numbers indicate a high amount of waste, Theresa Lanowitz, founder of Voke and co-author of the study, said they may serve as a wake-up call to those in upper management.

Author: Jennette Mullaney