Requirements Elicitation
Facilitated Sessions to Gather and Define Business and Software Requirements
A team Requirements Consultants can be engaged to conduct the Requirements Elicitation Sessions and quickly define and document the necessary and sufficient business and software requirements for your critical projects. A Senior Requirements Facilitator will lead the meeting(s) while an expert Requirements Consultant will perform the documentation, analysis and verification activities during and after the sessions to ensure all the requirements and models are clear, complete and accurate.
IAG’s Requirements Consultants are seasoned experts in Business Analysis and Software Engineering best practices. We use specific methods and practices that have been proven to be effective at ensuring the meetings are focused and productive, and the resulting requirements specifications are clear and accurate.
IAG’s Requirements Elicitation service is a very productive and cost effective way to obtain high quality requirements documentation, extremely quickly, using specialized requirements facilitation and documentation experts.
Typical Engagement
Duration
1-4 weeks on average
Resources
1 Requirements Consulting Team
Format
- Day 1
Project/Product Scoping Session with main Stakeholders (10AM-3PM)
Analysis and Documentation of Scope and High Level Requirements
Requirements Planning - Days 2-4
Requirements Discovery Sessions (9AM-3PM)
Requirements Analysis and Documentation (3-5PM) - Day 5
Requirements Review, Analysis and Verification - Days 6-9
Requirements Discovery Sessions (9AM-3PM)
Requirements Analysis and Documentation (3-5PM) - Day 10
Requirements Review, Validation and Prioritization
Work Products
(Various models, templates and tools may be used – based on client needs)
Typical Mid-level Requirements Document including:
Definition of Scope and Objectives
Use Cases
Context Diagram
Conceptual Data Model
Data Definitions
Process Models
(typically on engagements 3 weeks or longer)
Engagement Types and Options
Various Types of Requirements Elicitation Engagements
Business Requirements Definition
(High, Mid or Detailed Requirements)
Business Process Modeling
Use Case Specifications
(Business or System Use Cases)
Detailed Software Requirements
Data Warehouse Requirements Definition
Options
Facilitation-only , or a Paired Analysis Team
(i.e, with real time documentation)
Lead, Mentoring, or Coaching role
Requirements Planning and Consulting Services
Requirements Discovery Session only
Formal or Informal Peer and Client Review Sessions
Detailed Analysis, Verification & Validation
Formal or Informal Requirements Prioritization & Acceptance Sessions
Facilitating a Requirements Discovery Session
One Senior Consultant acts as the facilitator, guiding subject matter experts through the definition of their requirements. Applying Best Requirements Practices™, the lead consultant will:
- Lead the session through practical questioning and analysis techniques applying this unique and proven approach
- Manage the group dynamics – keeping the participants focused and on track
“I found this process to be extremely customer-focused – and we got an accurate deliverable for our review right away.”
A second Requirements Consultant is responsible for the complete documentation and production of the deliverable while the Facilitator conducts the Discovery Session. This is known as paired analysis and in addition to producing immediate and tangible results, both consultants play an active role coaching & mentoring the IT analysts during this phase of the project.
During these sessions the Consultants will record all the business needs from the group’s discussion and capture all the models, diagrams, and narratives – together these produce the deliverables at the end of the engagement.
IAG Consulting conducts the sessions and produces the Requirements Specification. A team of consultants ensure immediate and successful results.
“I was truly amazed how the consultant pulled us together and kept us focused – it was the most productive meeting I’ve had since I’ve been with the company”
Why use IAG?
The cost and time advantage of engaging senior requirements definition experts for a short (1-4 week) period vs. a single or team of junior or intermediate Business Analysts for a period of months.
To start a project with reliable experts and hand-over a high quality standardized deliverable to your internal Business Analysts/ Business Systems Analysts/ Systems Analysts.
As opposed to contract Business Analysts, IAG consultants all employ a consistent and standardized process and use proven practices in which they have all been certified by IAG.
Because our Senior Consultants complete dozens of projects every year, they are unique in the diversity and experience they bring to every project..
Our Consultants lead the sessions using matter-of-fact questioning and analysis techniques all the while managing key group dynamics – keeping focused, on track, and avoiding the common traps of user meetings and analysis paralysis.
The advantage of engaging senior external consultants with no biases or hidden agendas; and to overcome obstacles in obtaining commitment, consensus and agreement.