Requirement gathering – An important aspect of project management
The success of any project is largely dependent on the preciseness and efficiency put into the task of requirement gathering. Even with the arrival of agile development methodologies alongside the traditional SDLC, the focus on requirements and specifications remains unchanged. But the current process of requirement definition has to make a shift towards an active collaborative model in which the IT managers and CIOs tap the minds of every level of the customer hierarchy.
Many times, the only way to define the qualitative or technical requirements of a project is through a Work Breakdown Structure or WBS. A WBS breaks your project into consumable bits so that you are aware of the parameters for each step followed for the project. After breaking the project down into the most basic steps, you can document your requirements on the basis of what needs to be accomplished in each step. The WBS analysis comprises of various methodologies like SWOT analysis, creating checklists or SMART lists.
Joint Application Development (JAD) consists of brainstorming sessions and workshops amongst managers, clients and system analysts. These JAD sessions encourage the development of ideas under the scope of the project, not just that, they are also useful in drawing the concept for different types of projects. The JAD coordinator often demonstrates the group about the analysis of the similar project in the past. The participation of clients and other stakeholders is necessary for producing an optimized output. These sessions include discussions about how the project scope will be developed and how the requirements will be gathered. As you proceed with the requirement gathering, you should keep observing what the most difficult part of this process is and which way is easiest to be followed. Many people prefer to develop the requirement list before the project scope is determined because otherwise they will have to change plans even before they get going. While others have to first carve out the scope and its parameters, only then can they figure out what is needed to get started.
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