How To Review Software Requirements

How to reviewHow to review

software software requirementsrequirements

Make the world a better place.

Send this to project stakeholders who need to read requirements.

Part 1

Your role

You are a ‘stakeholder’ to a project

But what is a stakeholder?

It simply means you have a ‘stake’ in what the project is trying to

deliver.

The project might make your life easier

or harder

or make little or no difference.

Either way

you are a

stakeholder

and you have to

read

and understand

and agree to

A set of ‘requirements’

because your signature

means you understand

what has been written down

and that your particular needs

and priorities

have been included

sufficiently.

Part 2

What are requirements and

why do we have them?

Requirements are a sort of contract

between you

and the project team.

You negotiate for what you need to be included.

They write it down.

You sign it.

It’s a contract.

At the end of the project

you can call them

on what they failed to deliver.

And they can point out

that they delivered to specifications.

It can be a bit of a problem.

I hope this presentation helps

make the problem smaller

or even disappear.

Requirements come in two main flavours.

AgileAgileTraditionalTraditional

They look something like this;

Requirements are the way we (project people)

articulate what you (business people)

… want to see out of a new software product.

to see out of

Requirements are not

typically what we want

to see in a software package.

to see in

You run a business unit.

You are not a software developer.

Don’t tell the software developer

that you want a particular feature

because

they’ll give it to you.

Instead…

tell them what outcome you want to achieve

and why it is important.

That way you’ll get

what you need.

Part 3

Reading requirements

(By the way, the secret to this is all in the preparation.)

Remember these?

Step 1

Put the document down.

Step 2

Grab a trusted colleague

and piece of paper

or some sticky notes

or a whiteboard

And write down your current KPIs

Now add the things you do that are

(a) important, and(b) not in your KPIs

KPIs that are reported on

Important things not in your KPIs

KPI # 1KPI # 2

KPI # 3 KPI # 4

Not KPI # 1

Not KPI # 2

Step 3

Write down all the major problems you have with your business unit today

and attach them

to your list of KPIs and important things

KPI # 1Staff retention

KPI # 2Quality

KPI # 3Financial

KPI # 4Accrued Leave

Not KPI # 1Happy Customers

Not KPI # 2Clean office

Staying on Budget with unexpected

events

Staff attrition too high

Customer satisfaction

heading south

Quality of service

inconsistent

John’s deskJane and

Lois’ leave is too high

Step 4

Drop your problems into an important / urgent

prioritisation grid

Important+

Not urgent

Not important+

Not urgent

Important +

Urgent

Not important+

Not urgent

Important+

Not urgent

Not important+

Not urgent

Important +

Urgent

Not important+

Not urgent

Staying on Budget with unexpected

events

Staff attrition too high

Customer satisfaction

heading south Quality of

service inconsistent

John’s desk

Jane and Lois’ leave is

too high

(Projects are expensive and complicated enough

without loading up small-fry issues)

Only keep the important issues

Important+

Not urgent

Not important+

Not urgent

Important +

Urgent

Not important+

Not urgent

Staying on Budget with unexpected

events

Staff attrition too high

Customer satisfaction

heading south Quality of

service inconsistent

John’s desk

Jane and Lois’ leave is

too high

Step 5

Draw a circle

Write down a short description of the

project’s goals in the circle

Solve world

hunger

Now write your important problems and issues around the circle

Solve world

hungerStaying on Budget with unexpected

events

Staff attrition too high

Customer satisfaction

heading south

Quality of service

inconsistent

Link up the project’s goals with your problem

areas

With a description of how the project should

be helping

Customers are fed

Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs

Staying on Budget with unexpected

events

Staff attrition too high

Customer satisfaction

heading south

Quality of service

inconsistent

Solve world

hunger

Staff want to help

Projects won’t connect with all your problems

Solve world

hungerStaying on

Budget

Staff attritionCustomer

satisfaction

Quality of service

Staff want to help

Customers are fed

Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs

?

(That’s a good thing)

(Overly large projects are too complex and

usually fail)

Step 6

Take your KPIs and other important

responsibilities

&

take the links

between the project’s goals and your problems

and

Make them headings

Staff want to help

Customers are fed

Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs

KPI # 1 KPI # 2 KPI # 3 KPI # 4

Not KPI # 1 Not KPI # 2

Give them a shorthand code

Staff want to help

Customers are fed

Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs

KPI # 1 KPI # 2 KPI # 3 KPI # 4

Not KPI # 1 Not KPI # 2

AB

C

D

E F G

H I

Now you are ready

to read those requirements

and assess

how the project will affect you

and your business unit.

Let’s revisit those steps:

1. Put aside the requirements2. Focus on your key objectives3. Identify your key problem areas4. Prioritize your problems5. Identify the links between the project

goals and your problems 6. Set up a code to track requirements

against what’s important to you

Step 7

Read each requirement statement

At the end of each statement

Attach the code for each problem or goal you

have

And then rate the requirement

on it’s ability to affect you

(good or bad)

When you complete the document you’ll have

notes

On everything that is relevant to you

And you’ll also have

Lot’s of requirements statements

that have no relevance to you

Now you can focus

on what is important.

And you can see

how the project’s requirements

will affect you.

There is one last thing.

Step 8

Go back to your diagram

that links the project

to your goals and problems.

Solve world

hunger

Staff want to help

Customers are fed

Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs

Staying on Budget with unexpected

events

Staff attrition too high

Customer satisfaction

heading south

Quality of service

inconsistent

Which one of these issues

have been left out of the document?

Do they matter?

If they do, it’s time to write up a list…

and send it to the project team.

I hope this is helpful.

We’d love your feedback.

(comments below)

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