Requirements management is one of the many crucial ingredients to ensure the successful outcome of any project, regardless of its size, complexity, type or duration. In this article we are looking at the What, When, Why, How and Who of “Requirements Management” as a necessary ingredient for Project Success.
What is Requirements Management? Simply put, it is the continuous process – throughout the entire life of a project – of documenting, analysing, prioritising, agreeing, communicating, tracing, verifying, validating and confirming the capabilities to which the project’s outcome should conform, whether it be a product or a service. It encompasses the process of controlling change to those requirements and communicating such change to and with the relevant stakeholders.
When do Requirements get managed? The definition above clearly states that it is a continuous process which occurs throughout the entire life of a project. A number of benchmark studies show it is far less expensive to identify and capture requirements early in the project lifecycle. Systematic and effective requirements management based on best practice captures requirements during the inception phase of the project.
Why do we need to Manage Requirements? Effective requirements management eliminates sub-standard design, build and test activities on any project. In particular:
Who performs the activity of Requirements Management? It is a common misconception that the “Business Analyst” is wholly responsible for Managing Requirements. Managing Requirements, like all the other activities for successfully executing and delivering a project, is a team-sport, and every stakeholder on the project team are responsible for ensuring requirements are managed throughout the life of a project. Having said that, there are a few specialised roles in the requirements management discipline, including Requirements Specifier, Requirements Writer, Requirements Reviewer, Requirements Tracker and Requirements Approver.
The process of effective Requirements Management on any project:
It’s not exactly a business secret that poorly-executed projects cost a great deal more than money (as if that’s not bad enough). They can cost reputations. Careers. So why not face facts and get the help you need?