Burning Questions

What's important about prioritizing requirements?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:04:52 -0800

Not all requirements are equally urgent and valuable. Prioritizing requirements is a delicate but essential step... Posted in Objectives, Scope, Requirements & WBS

With all these requirements, how do I keep track of what's going on?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:05:11 -0800

At each step, it's important to continually review the project status and plan as they evolve, and change the requirements as needed. Among the best tools to ensure that your requirements process remains up-to-date in real time is by leveraging... Posted in Objectives, Scope, Requirements & WBS

What's so important about deciding how to get requirements approved?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:05:34 -0800

There are a several schools of thought about reviewing and approving requirements. A stringent review process might demand a requirements walkthrough in which every key stakeholder must review every word of every requirements document and approve the document... Posted in Objectives, Scope, Requirements & WBS

What is elicitation and how do I do it?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:06:11 -0800

There's a large and important difference between eliciting requirements and inventing them. It's rare for all of the requirements to be clear and neatly arranged, just waiting to be harvested; on the other hand... Posted in Objectives, Scope, Requirements & WBS

Why do I need to put the requirements into categories?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:06:32 -0800

Categorizing the requirements will help you stay organized, as you gather, manage, and add new requirements. It will save time, reduce the odds of missing requirements, and help you ensure that the right stakeholders... Posted in Objectives, Scope, Requirements & WBS

I can't move forward in the requirements gathering process until a key business decision has been made, and the business isn't making the decision fast enough.

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:00:15 -0700

There's no getting around it; the customer does control the pace of the project, because the customer defines the need and has power of approval. It's unfortunate, but when decisions and approvals are in other people's hands, any hesitation on their part can impact the project's forward momentum... Posted in Commitment, Approval & Celebration

The organization has rolled out a new template for requirements that we're supposed to use for all projects, but it doesn't all seem to apply to what I'm doing. What should I do?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:58:22 -0700

You've probably seen that trying to make things easier only ends up making them harder. This can easily happen when we try to implement broad-based tools or processes that haven't been tested over the entire spectrum of applications for which we're trying to introduce them. It's unlikely that someone sat down and wondered, "How can I introduce a tool that will make us work harder?"... Posted in Documentation

How do we use enough Configuration Management to control things without over-controlling too early in the project?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:56:58 -0700

Over-controlling development, or controlling too early, can snuff the creative life out of a project and slow it to a crawl. The flip side, of course, is that if you let the project "go with the flow," without sufficient documentation, you're likely to end up wasting time later trying to figure out how you built something that worked... Posted in Change Control & Configuration Management

The developers have started developing, but the requirements aren't finished and signed-off. How do I get them to wait?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:55:44 -0700

It's often hard to keep the developers at bay, and even harder when they get an idea about a solution and what's required before they receive the final requirements. To help you persuade the developers to be patient, consider the answers to the following questions... Posted in Execution, Tracking & Control

I have two business stakeholders who have conflicting requirements. How do I figure out what's best for the organization?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:54:46 -0700

In a perfect world, all the people engaged in a project would line up in neat rows, aligned with the objectives in precisely the same way. In the real world, that doesn't happen—there's a constant give-and-take over money, resources, ideas, opportunities, and how things are done... Posted in Objectives, Scope, Requirements & WBS

My project sponsor keeps adding features to the application, but the requirements are already documented and approved. Now what?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:52:35 -0700

Because the project sponsors are empowered to direct how the project unfolds, they may assume that they can get whatever they want. They may even act as if they are above the formal change control processes, and can meddle whenever and however they like... Posted in Execution, Tracking & Control

What is configuration management, and why is it important?

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:48:24 -0700

Configuration management was born as a systems engineering discipline in the 1950s, when the U.S. began developing tactical and strategic ballistic missiles. The manufacturers found that they had trouble mass producing missiles from the successful prototypes, because... Posted in Change Control & Configuration Management

Who is responsible for prioritizing bug fixes?

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:46:43 -0700

It's so common for a project's testing and bug fix window to be cut short that everyone jokes about it. We laugh because the jokes are true. Good project discipline ensures that there's sufficient time and resources to accommodate thorough, appropriate testing and correction of identified issues... Posted in Quality Assurance, Control & Management

What specific activities should a business analyst expect to do during the lifecycle of a project?

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:44:44 -0700

While a business analyst must possess the skills to handle a broad variety of projects - long, short, complex, or simple - there's really no need to re-invent the wheel for each new project... Posted in Project Planning & Trade-offs

I have two business stakeholders who have conflicting requirements. How do I figure out what's best for the organization?

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:43:19 -0700

In a perfect world, all the people engaged in a project would line up in neat rows, aligned with the objectives in precisely the same way. In the real world, that doesn't happen... Posted in Objectives, Scope, Requirements & WBS

Why do I need a Requirements Management Plan?

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:40:40 -0700

There's a strong, practical case to be made for drawing up a Requirements Management Plan (RMP) that spells out precisely how the requirements will be managed - i.e., the strategies you'll use to present, review, prioritize, document, and approve the requirements. The RMP also includes details of how the requirements will be categorized, numbered, sequenced, referenced, and traced back to the business need... Posted in Project Planning & Trade-offs

How does a business analyst ensure that the requirements are at the appropriate level of quality?

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:39:36 -0700

Requirements that are well written, well organized, and easily translatable into solutions help develop the solution efficiently, with less reworking and confusion. Requirements that are inaccurate, incomplete, and poorly organized can quite literally generate solutions that fail to meet the business needs... Posted in Objectives, Scope, Requirements & WBS

What's the best way to organize the requirements process?

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:38:20 -0700

The best way to organize the requirements process, without a doubt, is "with all deliberate care." Each project is unique, so the specifics of how you'll organize the requirements process activities will always be different... Posted in Objectives, Scope, Requirements & WBS

What's the best way to determine what role the various audiences have in the requirements?

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:36:33 -0700

Because the stakeholders will have different interests in the project and requirements, it's good to review a copy of the project's accountability matrix, or the RACI chart which tells who's Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed... Posted in Objectives, Scope, Requirements & WBS

What is a business analyst? What does business analysis mean?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:21:23 -0700

Business analysis is a process for uncovering business goals, shaping them in clear and understandable terms, and identifying and evaluating a range of solutions. The business analyst's job starts with activities aimed at analyzing and understanding the goals the business wants to achieve... Posted in Business Analyst Role

What does a business analyst actually do?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:21:23 -0700

A business analyst's daily "job duties" can vary greatly, depending on the nature of the current organization and project. However, there are some activities that the business analyst will commonly do in the course of every project. They include: investigating goals and issues, analyzing information, communicating with a wide variety of people, documenting findings, and evaluating solutions... Posted in Business Analyst Role

What are the most common expectations from a business analyst?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:21:23 -0700

Your bosses will surely have expectations about what a business analyst does, and the quality of the results. Fortunately, you'll be able to apply the core business analysis skills and procedures across organizations and projects. Chances are, whether you're new to the business, or an old hand, you'll be expected to excel in three distinct skills... Posted in Business Analyst Role

Do I need to have extensive experience in the business area in order to be effective as a business analyst?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:21:23 -0700

You probably won't require in-depth subject matter expertise about the target business area. But you absolutely will need to be able to come up to speed quickly, and you must know how to fill any gaps in your knowledge as fast as possible. Posted in Business Analyst Role

Why shouldn't I contribute as part of the development team in addition to managing the project?

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 09:26:41 -0700

I thought doing some of the work myself would help the project, but why do the managers give me strange looks? Posted in Execution, Tracking & Control

What is project documentation, and why do it?

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 09:25:48 -0700

When your business focuses on efficiency, cost minimization, and speed-to-market, creating lots of documentation can seem counterproductive. If the documentation doesn't directly support a deliverable, why do it? Posted in Documentation

What are the characteristics of good project documentation?

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 09:24:44 -0700

What are the characteristics of good project documentation? I've know there's such a thing as too much documentation, but what does the documentation on successful projects look like? Posted in Documentation

Can you over-document?

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:11:28 -0700

It is possible to have too much of a good thing, even something as valuable as documentation. Short answer: yes, you can over-document, and not just because some people would rather eat sand than write the docs. But that doesn't mean you can bypass the documents entirely. The trick is to strike a balance. Posted in Documentation

Is there a minimum amount of documentation a project should have?

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:11:27 -0700

It's difficult to give a general rule for the minimum documentation required to adequately manage a project. If you're building a commercial airliner, you'll need dramatically different documentation than if you're planning a wedding. However, there are five documentation areas that every project-extreme or conservative, large or small-should cover in some form or another, to avoid unacceptable project risks. Posted in Documentation

How can I get control over my time?

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:34:02 -0700

"Time is money" - believe it. One approach to getting control of our time is to take this old adage seriously. If you need convincing, make a quick calculation of what it costs your organization to pay you (including benefits, taxes, and bonus), seat you in an office, and equip you with tools, administrative support, and executive management... Posted in Personal Effectiveness

What are some of the "time robbers"?

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:32:53 -0700

I've heard the term "time robbers" used to define tasks and activities that can drain time away from a project manager. What are some of the time robbers? Posted in Personal Effectiveness

How do I figure out where my time is going every day?

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:32:07 -0700

I can't ever seem to get all my project work done, but I believe I've estimated my important work tasks well. How do I figure out where my time is going every day? Posted in Personal Effectiveness

What is "Time Management"?

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:30:51 -0700

Ever wonder why some people seem to get so much done and other less so? One thing that contributes to their effectiveness is their Time Management practices. Posted in Personal Effectiveness

When in a project should I start controlling changes more formally?

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:23:41 -0700

I don't want to over-constrain the creative process early in the project while we are defining the scope and requirements, but I know that if we don't start tracking change sometime we might have a problem. When in a project should I start controlling changes more formally? Posted in Change Control & Configuration Management

Executives pushing for release but we're not ready

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:27:21 -0700

There's big pressure to say that we're done, that this is ready to provide to customers and call the project done. But some of us don't think so. How do we stop Management from pushing us to release before we're ready? Posted in Commitment, Approval & Celebration

What are the elements of a project plan?

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:31:22 -0700

I'm new to this management role and have been asked to plan the project we're working on. What are the elements of a project plan? Posted in Project Planning & Trade-offs

How do I keep risk from disrupting the project?

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:33:17 -0700

We have a pretty good idea of the work ahead of us and have developed a detailed project plan, but how do I keep risk from disrupting the project? Posted in Risk & Issue Management

How and when do I start forming a cross-functional team?

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:34:04 -0700

I was recently announced as the project manager for a new development effort and have been putting the basics of the plan together. How and when do I start forming a cross-functional team that will make up the project? Posted in Project Teams