How To Review Software Requirements

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  • + craigwbrown Craig Brown 9 months ago
    Thanks Clarke. The feedback is appreciated.
  • + cching cching 9 months ago
    Excellent work Craig. You wrote precisely what I’d recommend ... which is what few people do. I hope loads of people read this.
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Notes on slide 1

Great cover photo by Zach_ManchesterUK CC @ Flickr (Thaks Zach!) http://www.flickr.com/photos/zach_manchester/2100975845/

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How To Review Software Requirements - Presentation Transcript

  1. How to review software requirements
  2. Make the world a better place. Send this to project stakeholders who need to read requirements.
  3. Part 1 Your role
  4. You are a ‘stakeholder’ to a project
  5. But what is a stakeholder?
  6. It simply means you have a ‘stake’ in what the project is trying to deliver.
  7. The project might make your life easier
  8. or harder
  9. or make little or no difference.
  10. Either way
  11. you are a
  12. stakeholder
  13. and you have to
  14. read
  15. and understand
  16. and agree to
  17. A set of ‘requirements’
  18. because your signature
  19. means you understand
  20. what has been written down
  21. and that your particular needs
  22. and priorities
  23. have been included
  24. sufficiently.
  25. Part 2 What are requirements and why do we have them?
  26. Requirements are a sort of contract
  27. between you
  28. and the project team.
  29. You negotiate for what you need to be included.
  30. They write it down.
  31. You sign it.
  32. It’s a contract.
  33. At the end of the project
  34. you can call them
  35. on what they failed to deliver.
  36. And they can point out
  37. that they delivered to specifications.
  38. It can be a bit of a problem.
  39. I hope this presentation helps
  40. make the problem smaller
  41. or even disappear.
  42. Requirements come in two main flavours.
  43. Agile Traditional
  44. They look something like this;
  45.  
  46. Requirements are the way we (project people)
  47. articulate what you (business people)
  48. … want to see out of a new software product.
  49. to see out of
  50. Requirements are not
  51. typically what we want
  52. to see in a software package.
  53. to see in
  54. You run a business unit.
  55. You are not a software developer.
  56. Don’t tell the software developer
  57. that you want a particular feature
  58. because
  59. they’ll give it to you.
  60. Instead…
  61. tell them what outcome you want to achieve
  62. and why it is important.
  63. That way you’ll get
  64. what you need.
  65. Part 3 Reading requirements
  66. (By the way, the secret to this is all in the preparation.)
  67. Remember these?
  68.  
  69. Step 1
  70. Put the document down.
  71. Step 2
  72. Grab a trusted colleague
  73. and piece of paper
  74. or some sticky notes
  75. or a whiteboard
  76. And write down your current KPIs
  77. Now add the things you do that are (a) important, and (b) not in your KPIs
    • KPIs that are reported on
    • Important things not in your KPIs
    KPI # 1 KPI # 2 KPI # 3 KPI # 4 Not KPI # 1 Not KPI # 2
  78. Step 3
  79. Write down all the major problems you have with your business unit today
  80. and attach them
  81. to your list of KPIs and important things
  82. KPI # 1 Staff retention KPI # 2 Quality KPI # 3 Financial KPI # 4 Accrued Leave Not KPI # 1 Happy Customers Not KPI # 2 Clean office Staying on Budget with unexpected events Staff attrition too high Customer satisfaction heading south Quality of service inconsistent John’s desk Jane and Lois’ leave is too high
  83. Step 4
  84. Drop your problems into an important / urgent prioritisation grid
  85. Important + Not urgent Not important + Not urgent Important + Urgent Not important + Not urgent
  86. Important + Not urgent Not important + Not urgent Important + Urgent Not important + Not urgent Staying on Budget with unexpected events Staff attrition too high Customer satisfaction heading south Quality of service inconsistent John’s desk Jane and Lois’ leave is too high
  87. (Projects are expensive and complicated enough without loading up small-fry issues)
  88. Only keep the important issues
  89. Important + Not urgent Not important + Not urgent Important + Urgent Not important + Not urgent Staying on Budget with unexpected events Staff attrition too high Customer satisfaction heading south Quality of service inconsistent John’s desk Jane and Lois’ leave is too high
  90. Step 5
  91. Draw a circle
  92.  
  93. Write down a short description of the project’s goals in the circle
  94. Solve world hunger
  95. Now write your important problems and issues around the circle
  96. Solve world hunger Staying on Budget with unexpected events Staff attrition too high Customer satisfaction heading south Quality of service inconsistent
  97. Link up the project’s goals with your problem areas
  98. With a description of how the project should be helping
  99. Customers are fed Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs Staying on Budget with unexpected events Staff attrition too high Customer satisfaction heading south Quality of service inconsistent Solve world hunger Staff want to help
  100. Projects won’t connect with all your problems
  101. Solve world hunger Staying on Budget Staff attrition Customer satisfaction Quality of service Staff want to help Customers are fed Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs ?
  102. (That’s a good thing)
  103. (Overly large projects are too complex and usually fail)
  104. Step 6
  105. Take your KPIs and other important responsibilities
  106. &
  107. take the links
  108. between the project’s goals and your problems
  109. and
  110. Make them headings
  111. Staff want to help Customers are fed Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs KPI # 1 KPI # 2 KPI # 3 KPI # 4 Not KPI # 1 Not KPI # 2
  112. Give them a shorthand code
  113. Staff want to help Customers are fed Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs KPI # 1 KPI # 2 KPI # 3 KPI # 4 Not KPI # 1 Not KPI # 2 A B C D E F G H I
  114. Now you are ready
  115. to read those requirements
  116. and assess
  117. how the project will affect you
  118. and your business unit.
  119. Let’s revisit those steps:
    • Put aside the requirements
    • Focus on your key objectives
    • Identify your key problem areas
    • Prioritize your problems
    • Identify the links between the project goals and your problems
    • Set up a code to track requirements against what’s important to you
  120. Step 7
  121. Read each requirement statement
  122. At the end of each statement
  123. Attach the code for each problem or goal you have
  124. And then rate the requirement
  125. on it’s ability to affect you
  126. (good or bad)
  127. When you complete the document you’ll have notes
  128. On everything that is relevant to you
  129. And you’ll also have
  130. Lot’s of requirements statements
  131. that have no relevance to you
  132. Now you can focus
  133. on what is important.
  134. And you can see
  135. how the project’s requirements
  136. will affect you.
  137. There is one last thing.
  138. Step 8
  139. Go back to your diagram
  140. that links the project
  141. to your goals and problems.
  142. Solve world hunger Staff want to help Customers are fed Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs Staying on Budget with unexpected events Staff attrition too high Customer satisfaction heading south Quality of service inconsistent
  143. Which one of these issues
  144. have been left out of the document?
  145. Do they matter?
  146. If they do, it’s time to write up a list…
  147. and send it to the project team.
  148. I hope this is helpful.
  149. We’d love your feedback. (comments below)
  150. www.betterprojects.net

+ Craig BrownCraig Brown, 9 months ago

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