The document discusses how user requirements for new systems are often a fallacy. It argues we should shift away from traditional waterfall approaches to software development and instead use agile methods that allow requirements to evolve through minimum viable products and user experience. This recognizes users are integral parts of the system and development teams need partnerships with business to understand changing needs rather than seeing IT as separate customer service providers.

1. User Requirements
is a Fallacy
VIJAY GEORGE
2016 SAN ANTONIO INNOTECH
MAY 11, 2016

2. Do users know what they want?
 Is it really a fair ask?

3. What are you really asking …

4. What you ended up with

5. Paradigm shift
 Business Case and Governance
 Requirements
 Development Cycle
 User’s role
 IT’s view of the Business

6. Business Case and Governance
 Business case usually doesn’t day
make it work like it’s worked for the
last 20 years
 We tend to assign project SMEs
from those knows the current
system really well
 Without Leadership and
Governance they will steer toward
what they know
 Importance of Change
Management

7. Requirements and Features
 Long feature list hardly used…
Feature List
Usage
 Long memory of what
happened in back in ’99
 I better get it now since it will
be another 10 years before
they listen to me again
 Proud of what they have
created over the years

8. How we traditionally build software
Define Build Test Deploy

9. Lessons from the startup world…
 MVP
 Experiencing it changes the
requirements
 Things change
 Users learn
 Development team learn

10. Evolutionary nature of Change

11. User’s role in the system
 We tend to try to translate the
physical experience into the
requirements for the system
 User is not outside the system
 Virtual changes the physical
experience
 Human Computer Interface has to
be experienced
 User experiences of the system will
be different
 Leave room to learn through
experience

12. IT’s view of Business: Customer Service
 Is that a good idea?

13. Partnership
 A better idea …  IT is an integral part of the business
not separate that needs alignment
 Most IT project are business
transformation projects not just a
technology installation
 Clear trade-offs help the business
make better choices
 Trusted Partner vs. Service Provider

14. Why is everyone moving to Agile
 Turn bigger projects into smaller
cycles
 Developers have to demo along
the way
 User’s experience changes the
requirements
 Recognizes the human part of the
system
 User and Developer part of the
same team

15. Waterfall and Agile

16. Paradigm shift
 Business Case and Governance
 Leadership and Change Management
 Requirements
 MVP and evolution through experience
 Development Cycle
 Iterative teams with developers / users
 User’s role
 Recognize the human is an Integral part of the system
 IT’s view of the Business
 Partner and Trusted Advisor