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Requirements Analysis no sexy buzzword, but nevertheless indispensable

The term ‘Requirements Analysis’ is as old as software development itself. So no sexy buzzword, but nevertheless indispensable. And the great thing about it is that mastering the art of requirements analysis will never go out of fashion.

AUTHOR – Hilde Houtmeyers

The purpose
of requirement analysis

The purpose of requirement analysis is to reach a mutual agreement with your stakeholders on the envisioned product, making it a crucial step in the entire software project and laying the groundwork for it’s success. So, if you want to make efficient use of your resources, then invest time in the requirements analysis phase. This is by all means no plea for going back to the “big bang” requirement delivery that characterized the Waterfall method. It is essential to acknowledge that requirements will change, but not if it is because we did not do a good job capturing them the first time.

And it seems simple enough: just talk to people and ask them questions. But there are a few pitfalls you need to be aware of.

Pitfall #1: Customers will tell you what they want, not what they need

When you meet up with your customer, they most likely have already spent quite some time thinking about the problem, and in their heads they have come up with a solution. They do not want to waste any time by contemplating on the problem, they want to start on implementing the solution right away. A few red lights are: pixel perfect mock-ups of the end-result, detailed list of transactions, … .

How to avoid this pitfall? Ask them WHY they need the solution: what is the goal?. And in the case of a report of dashboard, you should not settle for ‘to measure is to know’. A good report or dashboard is actionable: it should inform the consumer so he/she can make the correct decision. So make sure you know which questions are on their mind.

Knowing why your customer needs the solution, makes distinguishing between must-have’s and nice-to-have’s much easier. And if you only know what your customer wants, the maximum you can achieve is delivering exactly what your customer asked for. If you understand what your customer needs, you can exceed expectations.

Choosing technological innovation over customer satisfaction will not result in a solution that people will want to use

Pitfall #2: Analysts are also already thinking about the solution

There can be a multitude of reasons why you as an analyst are also already thinking about the solution. Maybe you really want to implement something with that new technology (like a cool AI project with LLMs for example). But choosing technological innovation over customer satisfaction will not result in a solution that people will want to use. Or maybe you are already panicking about unrealistic requirements. Whatever the cause, the result is that you are no longer really listening.

How to avoid this pitfall? Keep an open mind and worry about the technical implementation later. This phase is all about asking questions.

Make sure you write the requirements down and ask for a review. It gives all parties involved the chance to reflect and to verify if everyone is on the same page. Additionally, you always have something to refer back to.

In order to capture the right requirements, both sender and receiver have to focus. It is vital that you understand your customer. Being in close contact with your stakeholders and end-users, seeing how they operate, will contribute to a better understanding. So why not ask for a tour?

So don’t be tempted to ‘Start first, check later’, but rather ‘Analyze Needs, Deliver Solutions’.

What can Acumen do for me?

Get in touch with Hilde to understand more about requirements analysis, and how Acumen can help.

Hilde has the answers

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