I have been given a task to come up with 2 Business Requirement templates: a high level template and a low level template. Sitting above this must be a decision process to ascertain which template is applicable for a given scenario. I've read some general articles which suggest a number of factors which come into play such as the skill level of your resources, whether you are outsourcing the development or keeping it internal, budget, etc. I have yet to come across a definitive matrix to assist in making this decision. Can anyone point me in the right direction to find one, or anything which will assist me in creating one such as a definitive list of determining factors. Thanks, A Saving Changes...
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Robin GoldsmithPresident| Go Pro Management Inc.Needham, Ma, United States
The good news is that you recognize business requirements are not just high-level but also need to be defined in detail. The bad news is that I think it's unwise to believe a template will help you identify the business requirements or that level of detail changes what you'd pay attention to. Business requirements must come from understanding the business, and the detailing comes from whatever you've identified at a higher level.
In my book, Discovering REAL Business Requirements for Software Project Success, I describe using the powerful Problem Pyramid™ tool to get the requirements right; and perhaps you could think of it as a type of template. It guides you through six steps, identifying: (1) the problem, opportunity, or challenge that will provide REAL value when addressed appropriately; (2) current measures that tell you it's a problem etc.; (3) goal measures that tell you problem etc. has been addressed and thereby provide REAL value; (4) causes of the problem etc., the as is situation that's producing the current measures; (5) the should be REAL business requirements deliverable _whats_ that when delivered, met, or satisfied address the causes and achieve the goal measures, thereby providing the value; and (6) the product, system, and/or software _how_ that reasonably will satisfy the REAL business requirements. Saving Changes...
Jerry MulenburgRetired| Mulenburg-QuixoteFairfield, Ca, United States
Ivy Hooks has a chapter in her book (Customer Centered Products) that talks about "levels" of requirements and gives some clear graphics about them but alas, no templates. Saving Changes...
Wayne MackRetired| RetiredSouth Riding, Va, United States
I would treat this task just like a standard requirements gathering effort and go back and ask the task issuer and any other stakeholders how and why they want to differentiate between high level and low level requirements. I would guess that before this task was assigned to you, at least one person had given it a great deal of thought in order to determine the task was necessary. Find the one or more people involved and document their thinking. Saving Changes...
Robin GoldsmithPresident| Go Pro Management Inc.Needham, Ma, United States
High- and low-level/detailed business requirements do not differ qualitatively. They are both describing business requirements.
In contrast, there is a widely-held but flawed model of requirements levels (or abstractions) that says the level of detail or abstraction alone determines whether it is a business requirement or a product/system/software requirement. According to this model, business requirements are high-level and vague, mainly objectives, that decompose into detailed product/system/software requirements.
The levels model is 100% wrong because business and product requirements are qualitatively different, _whats_ vs. _hows_, not different detail levels of the same thing. Both need to be defined in both high- and low-levels. For more discussion, see my February 13, 2007 Requirements Networking Group featured article, "Conventional Requirements Model Flaw Misses Real Business Requirements," at http://www.requirementsnetwork.com/node/683. Saving Changes...
High level BRD template can contain the following,
1) Business Need/Business Requirement (Business Problem)
2) Who identified the Business Problem and How?
3) Advantages and disadvantages of the Business Solution
4) Who will Benefit, How they will Benefit and what are the Benefits
Low level BRD template can contain the following,
1) Business Need/Business Requirement (Business Problem)
2) Solution for the Business Problem
3) Who will implement the solution and How?
Best Regards,
Vivekanandan M Saving Changes...
Linda HillProgram Manager| MicrosoftRenton, Wa, United States
Thank you Vivekanandan. I am beginning to understand the issue and how it might be addressed consistently. Saving Changes...
Interesting question with no hard and fast answer. A template will just be empty boxes it is what you put into them that sets the level of details plus any additional information about the requirement.
Have a look at this website http://www.volere.co.uk/template.htm It is a very helpful site on business funtional and non-functional requirements.
I always think of business requirements as an onion, lots and lots of layers! Just decide how detailed you need to get. i.e. how many layers you want/need to peel off.
One good measure is can you test it and say yet that works or not. You will find that the level not only varies between projects but also the different subject areas within the project.
Good luck! Saving Changes...
Keshava ChandraiahIT Project Manager| American ExpressAlpharetta, Ga, United States
Business Requirements is a functional requirement from Sponsor, Users etc which will be in high level requirements file. To achieve high level requirements we need a technical plan where we need to put what type of technology, testing etc will come in low level requirements or technical requirements. I hope now there is some clarity on this topic Saving Changes...
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