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New Post 2/26/2014 11:06 PM
User is offline Kimbo
456 posts
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Re: How do you keep track of various versions of requirements documents? (first post. Hello!) 

 Or just use your company's document management system

Kimbo
 
New Post 3/19/2014 11:53 AM
User is offline Machelle
6 posts
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Re: How do you keep track of various versions of requirements documents? (first post. Hello!) 
Hi, Great question. If you're fortunate enough to work for a company that has a formal requirements management software, you would use its version tracking feature. Most of us are not that fortunate, so we make do with adding something to our requirements document. As others have mentioned, it's crucial to keep the latest version, and only the latest version, in a central location available to the entire project team. It's important that the requirements be locked down so that a single person, typically the BA, is the only one with write access. All changes should come through the person in charge of requirements and should go thru a change discipline if they've been baselined. I usually add a change log to the front of my requirements that tracks several key attributes of the change including date requested, submitted by, requirement # it applies to, rational for the change, status, date approved and impact of the change. If requirements are not managed properly, all sorts of problems will happen down the road. When it comes time to test requirements, having a single, approved version of requirements is critical. It's also important to identify who is authorized to request changes to the baselined requirements. If you follow the BABOK, requirements have different states that they go thru. The rigor applied to requirements management gets more stringent the further down the SDLC one gets. If you are at the beginning of the project, you may elicit requirements from a wide array of stakeholders. Once the requirements are prioritized, the list of people authorized to submit and approve changes is greatly reduced. Of course when using the Agile Methodology, the requirements undergo more frequent changes. So in summary, I recommend keeping one copy of the requirements with a version # in a central location, track requirements change attributes, ensure only people authorized to submit changes do so and ensure one person owns the requirements document updates. Good luck!
 
New Post 3/19/2014 12:02 PM
User is offline Machelle
6 posts
10th Level Poster


Re: How do you keep track of various versions of requirements documents? (first post. Hello!) 
Having conflicting SME views in a JAD session is common, especially if you have various departments represented. That's why it's important to have roles clearly defined and discussed prior to beginning the session. When I worked at Intel, we used the RAPID decision model. This is an acronym that describes each person's level of contribution/authority in a decision. Several people may have the authority to input their opinion, but it's the 'D' who makes the final decision. RAPID: R - Recommend A - Agree P - Perform (person doing the work) I - Input D - Decide (single decision maker) RACI: R - Responsible A - Accountable C - Consulted I - Informed
 
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