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’.