3 pitfalls to avoid when engineering business requirements

 

Undue focus on what the solution should be without full consideration of why

All solutions to business requirements must meet a specific business need. Therefore it follows that the starting point for solving a business need must be the answer to the question why the problem exists. The Business Analyst should first seek to understand why a business problem or need exists before seeking what might resolve the problem or meet the need. For example: The Invoicing team of an organisation have identified an issue with the process of paying invoices. They say the current system does not generate the invoices in the format the customers need it to be so they often have to manually amend the invoices before sending them out. Rather than decide on what could be done which naturally leads down a solution path, start by finding out why the issue occurs in the first place. This will naturally lead the Business Analyst down a root cause path that can then open up a whole range of options – data, software, user error etc. Immediately focussing on what needs to be done to avoid the problem of manually amending invoices may lead the Business Analyst to what might only be a band aid solution and completely miss out on finding out why there was a problem in the first place then solving the problem.

No ownership of Requirements

Every requirement or business need must be owned by a named person who will be accountable for ensuring the business need or requirement is fully understood and that the solution delivered meets the requirement. When making assumptions or decisions about the requirement the business analyst will need to consult with the owner. Without an owner, a requirement can go in any direction and the business need may not be met.

Unprioritised requirements

Without clear priorities, it will be difficult for a business analyst to focus on what is most important to the business. In the event that there are conflicts or limited resources, we cannot make the right decisions about what to do first or what brings the most value to the business without clear priorities.