Requirements Discovery and Modeling (or How To Facilitate Business Analysis and Discovery Meetings) Chuck Boudreau Enterprise Business Architect IIBA Colorado Springs May 20, 2009

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Today is Special Day May 20, 2009 1,000,000 th sponsored child (concurrently)

May 20, 2009

1,000,000 th sponsored child (concurrently)

About Compassion IT 155 IT staff (not including contractors) Sybase legacy technology Microsoft strategic technology Serves internal customers Sales/marketing Sponsor/donor services Beneficiary program services

155 IT staff (not including contractors)

Sybase legacy technology

Microsoft strategic technology

Serves internal customers

Sales/marketing

Sponsor/donor services

Beneficiary program services

Assumptions About You Involved in IT software projects Interested in seeing how others approach business analysis and discovery Want to learn some techniques that work in order to apply in your context Busy...need to keep it practical

Involved in IT software projects

Interested in seeing how others approach business analysis and discovery

Want to learn some techniques that work in order to apply in your context

Busy...need to keep it practical

Topics of Discussion Motivation for various IT business analysis deliverables Techniques and mindset for leading requirements discovery activities Other training and learning resources Q&A throughout

Motivation for various IT business analysis deliverables

Techniques and mindset for leading requirements discovery activities

Other training and learning resources

Q&A throughout

Question: How’s It Working for You? Requirements discovery Clarity of business goals Testable requirements Access to SMEs

Requirements discovery

Clarity of business goals

Testable requirements

Access to SMEs

Stake in the Ground Biggest risks in project are not technical Lack of clarity is the biggest risk Reduce risk by eliminating uncertainty (increasing clarity)

Biggest risks in project are not technical

Lack of clarity is the biggest risk

Reduce risk by eliminating uncertainty (increasing clarity)

Stake in the Ground Content in the deliverables you produce is wrong It is less wrong as you engage more people in the process of reviewing People stink at process conformity, but they are good at pointing out what’s out of alignment

Content in the deliverables you produce is wrong

It is less wrong as you engage more people in the process of reviewing

People stink at process conformity, but they are good at pointing out what’s out of alignment

Reminder: IT Enables Business Initial deliverables should represent business context Focus on “what” first Focus on “how” later

Initial deliverables should represent business context

Focus on “what” first

Focus on “how” later

Business Analysis Deliverables Business glossary BPMN diagrams Use cases Features matrix State charts

Business glossary

BPMN diagrams

Use cases

Features matrix

State charts

Business Glossary Terms used in the business context Cultivated real-time in discovery meetings Living document

Terms used in the business context

Cultivated real-time in discovery meetings

Living document

Business Process Model Notation (BPMN) Diagrams Describe the business context for the system under discussion Cultivated real-time in discovery meetings

Describe the business context for the system under discussion

Cultivated real-time in discovery meetings

Use Cases Essential Business language: the “what” Reviewed by the business Detailed Derived from the essential use cases Implementation/technical language: the “how” Reviewed by the technology implementers

Essential

Business language: the “what”

Reviewed by the business

Detailed

Derived from the essential use cases

Implementation/technical language: the “how”

Reviewed by the technology implementers

Tips on Use Cases Avoid the “tyranny of the template” Cultivate real-time in discovery meetings Know when it starts TUCBW Know when it ends TUCEW Capture issues in the work-in-progress

Avoid the “tyranny of the template”

Cultivate real-time in discovery meetings

Know when it starts

TUCBW

Know when it ends

TUCEW

Capture issues in the work-in-progress

Features matrix “ The ability to…”

“ The ability to…”

State Charts (Sometimes) Managing and tracking key entities through their lifecycle Sometimes makes a good organizing metaphor

Managing and tracking key entities through their lifecycle

Sometimes makes a good organizing metaphor

Preparing for Discovery Meet participants ahead of time Arrange to have two business analysts in meetings Get meeting rooms with big walls or whiteboards Camera (preferably wireless) Markers, stickies, candies, toys

Meet participants ahead of time

Arrange to have two business analysts in meetings

Get meeting rooms with big walls or whiteboards

Camera (preferably wireless)

Markers, stickies, candies, toys

Great Opening Lines What are yours? How do you open the dialog

What are yours?

How do you open the dialog

Try These on for Size What does your system manage and track? Describe the business events that cause you or your staff (or system) to take action?

What does your system manage and track?

Describe the business events that cause you or your staff (or system) to take action?

Unfolding the Details “ What happens next?” “ What data to you need?” Avoid technical details Work the documents Business glossary BPMN diagrams Use cases

“ What happens next?”

“ What data to you need?”

Avoid technical details

Work the documents

Business glossary

BPMN diagrams

Use cases

Dealing With Problems Setting goals and planning on how to measure meeting progress Getting to the whiteboard right away Shifting into the “as is” when discussing “to be” Lack of velocity/ low energy Three-minute rule Overbearing people

Setting goals and planning on how to measure meeting progress

Getting to the whiteboard right away

Shifting into the “as is” when discussing “to be”

Lack of velocity/ low energy

Three-minute rule

Overbearing people

Remember The focus is on describing software behavior in a business setting

The focus is on describing software behavior in a business setting

Other Resources Read the Agile Manifesto http://agilemanifesto.org/ Visit Gary Evans’ website http://www.evanetics.com Read “What is an Agile Culture?” at http://www.evanetics.com/Articles/ar_essays/AgileCulture.htm Bookmark and review the content of your choosing at Gary Evans’ site at http://www.evanetics.com/ (my personal favorites below) Tales of Fragility http://www.evanetics.com/Articles/ar_essays/fragility.htm Honeybees and Spiders http://www.evanetics.com/Articles/ar_essays/bees&spiders.htm Articles on Use Cases http://www.evanetics.com/Articles/ar_usecases/ar_usecases.htm

Read the Agile Manifesto http://agilemanifesto.org/

Visit Gary Evans’ website http://www.evanetics.com

Read “What is an Agile Culture?” at http://www.evanetics.com/Articles/ar_essays/AgileCulture.htm

Bookmark and review the content of your choosing at Gary Evans’ site at http://www.evanetics.com/ (my personal favorites below)

Tales of Fragility http://www.evanetics.com/Articles/ar_essays/fragility.htm

Honeybees and Spiders http://www.evanetics.com/Articles/ar_essays/bees&spiders.htm

Articles on Use Cases http://www.evanetics.com/Articles/ar_usecases/ar_usecases.htm