Executive Guide to Understanding Business Requirements

Executive Guide to Business and Software Requirements













New Castle DE www.iag.biz 1 800-209-3616
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This paper is designed as an executive briefing on the issues surrounding getting business and software requirements right. The white paper is structured so that each page is its own "mini-white-paper? but each is also part of a total look at better structuring requirements documents, processes and content completeness.
At the end of this paper is a one page "tear-out? summary. This summary is both a shortened distillation of the content, and a diagnostic tool for reviewing your organization?s performance in extracting and documenting business requirements.
In short: we propose that Business and Software Requirements are a process that needs executive attention. Not only is this a central enabling process for business strategy execution, it is one that requires discipline and commitment from the organization to be able to make it perform well.
In addition to the wealth of statistical detail to support the monetary contribution of this process, we propose that business requirements are more than a template to be completed. Effective and efficient requirements must:
. Start with a Template: that clearly defines a format for content designed for use by a specific user. And also has;
. Complete Content: this content has specific characteristics, and is measurably complete. And;
. Uses an Efficient Process: since a company's subject experts are its most limited asset.

New Castle DE www.iag.biz 1 800-209-3616
CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ 2
CONTENTS .................................................................................................................................. 3
WHY FOCUS ON GETTING 'BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS' RIGHT TODAY? ...................................... 4
HOW DOES BUSINESS PERFORMANCE IN DEFINING BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS AFFECT OTHER OPERATIONAL AREAS? ............................................................................................................... 5
UNDERSTANDING OF EFFECTIVE BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS - THE DEFINITION ......................... 5
BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS: THE HOLISTIC VIEW ...................................................................... 6
WHAT MAKES GETTING BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS RIGHT A COMPLEX PROBLEM? ................... 7
ASSURING CONTENT CLARITY IN BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS ...................................................... 9
EFFECTIVE INFORMATION FORMAT RECOGNIZES THREE AUDIENCES ....................................... 10
EXECUTIVE BRIEFING ON FORMATTING STANDARDS AND ERRORS .......................................... 10
EXECUTIVE BRIEFING ON COMPLETENESS: BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS TESTING AND CONTROL PROCESSES ............................................................................................................................... 12
EXECUTIVE BRIEFING ON COMPLETENESS: CONTROLLING FINANCIAL RISKS ........................... 14
BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS AS A PROCESS ................................................................................ 15
KEY SUCCESS FACTORS AND PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS ....... 17
ABOUT IAG CONSULTING ......................................................................................................... 19


New Castle DE www.iag.biz 1 800-209-3616
WHY FOCUS ON GETTING "BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS? RIGHT TODAY?
The concept of getting business and software requirements right sounds straight-forward. However, most companies would admit they need to improve - in fact, 1flawed requirements trigger 70% of project failures . Consider the statistics from recent studies:
1. While fewer than 15% of projects are considered outright failures by those involved, 21.6% of all spending on projects is still wasted today - either on 2failed projects, or poorly controlled overruns.
2. As the ... [download for more]