Action Plan for the Business Analyst – Action Items

• Separate the categories or requirements in requirements templates.
• Include assumptions and constraints in requirements documents.
• Have peers check to determine if the requirements are high quality and complete in breadth.
• Create a defect checklist for all templates that lists common requirements errors.
• Document all requirements-related terms, enterprise acronyms, and business domain language in an appendix to the requirements document or in a separate glossary.
• Assemble and educate a core requirements team composed of key business and technical stakeholders.
• Gain an understanding of the needs and environments of customers, users, and stakeholders.
• Review or create if nonexistent, the business case, project charter, or similar scope definition document.
• Understand the business vision, drivers, goals, and objectives for the new/changed system.
• Understand and further document the scope of the project.
• Define the documents and models to be produced and begin to develop the requirements management plan.
• Define/refine the checklist of requirements activities, deliverables, and schedule.
• Plan for change throughout the lifecycle.
• Customize the project complexity model to the project environment.
• Collaboratively determine the size/risk of the project and establish plans accordingly with the project manager and key business technology experts.
• Bridge the gap between the project team and the stakeholders by establishing creative partnerships, conducting voice-of-the-business surveys, and securing customer input by establishing focus groups, business panels, and cross-functional decision teams.
• Review the business case for a list of business drivers; continually link project work to the expected benefits outlined in the business case.
• Explain the business value expected from the project to all stakeholders to continually confirm the primary needs that are driving the project.
• Develop or refine the stakeholder’s analysis prior to beginning elicitation activities.
• Use the stakeholder analysis to determine and manage early requirements-related tasks.
• Identify a champion for each user group.
• Make the user champion a key member of the requirements elicitation team.
• Establish and document ground rules for making requirements decisions and resolving conflicts.
• Enlist the project manager and the business and technical leads to determine the project life cycle and delivery approach to be used for the project.
• Together, tailor and customize the requirements activities, deliverables, and reviews based on the needs of the project.