2. Determine a communications strategy f

2 Keys to Reduce Project Risk in the Requirements Process Business Articles | July 19 Yankees Don Mattingly Jersey , 2008
Gathering and managing requirements are important challenges in project management. Most projects succeed or fail based upon the quality of the project requirements. The Project Manager needs to assess and understand the uniqueness of the requirements gathering process for hisher individual project.


Gathering and managing requirements are important challenges in project management. Most projects succeed or fail based upon the quality of the project requirements. Projects can fail due to poor requirements at the beginning, or at any time throughout the lifecycle if the continuously evolving baseline of requirements is not managed effectively. Projects are like snowflakes; no single project is exactly the same as another. The Project Manager needs to assess and understand the uniqueness of the requirements gathering process for hisher individual project.


2 Points of Focus Around Requirements Gathering


Preliminary scope statements are the beginning of the requirements gathering process. They are high level and are designed to initiate progressive elaboration, where that preliminary scope statement is expanded into the detail that makes up the complete requirements baseline. The Project Manager must get hisher hands around how that progressive elaboration process will take place as part of the project. 2 points of focus can help: Requirements Definition and Requirements Management.


Requirements Definition


Requirements Definition refers to the details that make up the actual requirements Yankees Don Larsen Jersey , or description of the product of the project. The key is to understand the reason for the project: the underlying problem to be solved or opportunity to be seized. It entails "discovering" the underlying problem or opportunity. This involves distinguishing what might be symptoms and possible solutions.


Often someone might state something like "What I need is a ..." The individual is acutely aware of a problem and often focuses on a narrow set of possible solutions, mistakenly stating the problem as one of these solutions. The PM or Requirements Analyst needs to gain control of the conversation and by engaging stakeholders and to identify the root causes. Once the root cause is identified, many problems become very simple. Other situations may be more complex Yankees Didi Gregorius Jersey , may demand coordination among stakeholders, will require collaboration to discover and document the Requirements Definition.


Requirements Management


Requirements Management refers to the configuration management needed to manage an expanding and changing set of details that make up that Requirements Definition. Usually in the beginning of the project, there may be little apparent need for sophisticated Requirements Management. Often it can be assumed that there will be a need Yankees Derek Jeter Jersey , or that need will become apparent as the project unfolds.


Here are 4 key inputs to the important challenge of Requirements Management:


1. # of stakeholders and how widespread


2. # of people on team and how widespread


3. Size of project - $


4. Complexity of the product of the project


The more the project requirements are elaborated, the greater need organize Requirements Definitions for each part of the project. The more parts, and the more in depth the definitions Yankees Dellin Betances Jersey , the greater is the need for a more sophisticated Requirements Management system.


Putting Together Requirements Definition and Requirements Management


Here is what can be done to effectively manage the requirements process on any project:


1. Identify ALL stakeholders. Develop categories for types of stakeholders, such as users, support Yankees David Robertson Jersey , interfacing in certain areas, managers affected by the project, and more. Make sure that all areas that the project will touch are represented by a stakeholder.


2. Determine a communications strategy for engaging with your stakeholders. You will need to build bridges to the stakeholders Yankees Clint Frazier Jersey , and will ideally be able to establish at least one face-to-face meeting with each stakeholder, and ideally at least one face-to-face meeting among all stakeholders.