Adilson PizeCEO and Consultant| Excellence ConsultantsCaxias Do Sul, Rs, Brazil
Gather all requirements to the project (or at least those most significants) is one of most hard challenges to the project team.
As the requirements are the base to define the project scope, an error when gather them can mean an unsuccessfull project.
There are several techniques to requirements gathering but, normally, the technical skills alone are not suficient, because the team responsible by collect the requirements need work together other people, so soft skills are necessary as well.
In your experience, which are the most important challenges to be surpassed, and how we can do it?
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
The challenge is to make sure that the requirements drive everything else in the project. Making sure that all work products and deliverables trace back to approved requirements requires a lot of effort and discipline. Saving Changes...
Stephane, yes, absolutely. The other challenge that I find is around getting people (users) to spend enough time to get across all the detail, and getting hold of a good Business Analyst to enable this.
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1 reply by Stéphane Parent
Apr 11, 2016 8:17 AM
Stéphane Parent
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So true, Tim.
Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Apr 11, 2016 8:08 AM
Replying to Tim PM
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Stephane, yes, absolutely. The other challenge that I find is around getting people (users) to spend enough time to get across all the detail, and getting hold of a good Business Analyst to enable this.
The underlying challenge that sabotage requirement gathering is to fail to identify all the stakeholders. failure to get all the stakeholders will definitely impair requirement gathering. Identifying all the stakeholders will help requirement gathering greatly and should be the most important challenge to be surpassed. Saving Changes...
Farhad AbdollahyanManaging Director| Cyrus Associados Apoio em ProjetosSao Paulo, Sp, Brazil
Dear friend Adilson,
IMHO, there are many factors that constitute obstacles to collect and incorporate requirements in the rational solution to a project or program needs.
One of them is haste. In fact both the customer and the solution provider are on a hurry to come to an agreement and usually the one leading the proposal on the supplier side is a salesperson with lack of technical skills and awareness of the importance of collecting the requirements. Same applies to the client agents in charge of preparing SoW and contract clauses.
Another set of causes are related to poor quality/risk assessment of the project. In fact assumptions are either not known or not well documented, therefore the requirements are also deficient. Saving Changes...
Gerhard TekesSenior PM and OPM Consultant| 3PTA - Project ManagementSalvador, Ba, Brazil
Great input on this elemental issue.
If we look at the application of project management practices by functional leaders, I agree with all of the above. Major problem is stakeholder management related. Haste, involvement, biasing, lack of competency etc.,
But if we look at critical projects where project management is executed at management level, IMHO the biggest issue is not to map requirements to critical success factors, not to have a benefit mapping as described in PMIs Program Management Standard as well as in Cabinet Offices MSP, but omitted in PMBOK Guide, not to make sure ongoing strategy alignment of requirements, not to manage the project benefit related requirements at organizational level.
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1 reply by Farhad Abdollahyan
Apr 11, 2016 6:58 PM
Farhad Abdollahyan
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I agree entirely with my german friend from Bahia, Gerhard. In fact, P3M3 maturity model regards requirements management as equivalent to benefits management when the organization is a supplier of the project solution. In other words, wether the product/asset/solution is fit for purpose is entirely dependent on outputs' capabilities of benefit realization. The requirements are the link between stakeholders (and not only clients) the outputs and finally outcomes and impacts of an initiative. Not only collecting them consistently, but also controlling the changes to them is key to success.
Saving Changes...
Farhad AbdollahyanManaging Director| Cyrus Associados Apoio em ProjetosSao Paulo, Sp, Brazil
Apr 11, 2016 5:52 PM
Replying to Gerhard Tekes
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Great input on this elemental issue.
If we look at the application of project management practices by functional leaders, I agree with all of the above. Major problem is stakeholder management related. Haste, involvement, biasing, lack of competency etc.,
But if we look at critical projects where project management is executed at management level, IMHO the biggest issue is not to map requirements to critical success factors, not to have a benefit mapping as described in PMIs Program Management Standard as well as in Cabinet Offices MSP, but omitted in PMBOK Guide, not to make sure ongoing strategy alignment of requirements, not to manage the project benefit related requirements at organizational level.
I agree entirely with my german friend from Bahia, Gerhard. In fact, P3M3 maturity model regards requirements management as equivalent to benefits management when the organization is a supplier of the project solution. In other words, wether the product/asset/solution is fit for purpose is entirely dependent on outputs' capabilities of benefit realization. The requirements are the link between stakeholders (and not only clients) the outputs and finally outcomes and impacts of an initiative. Not only collecting them consistently, but also controlling the changes to them is key to success. Saving Changes...
Bala S DuvvuriProject Manager| ShellBangalore, Karnataka, India
As far as my experience goes other than the challenges mentioned above one more challenge I can think of is getting the consensus(sign-off) from all the stakeholders if there is no proper process followed.
As a project manager if we don't set the process correctly in the initial stage itself stakeholders may take their own sweet time to sign-off the requirements. Saving Changes...
Though most of the points have been covered in the earlier comments, I thought I might touch upon the possibility of the key stakeholders themselves changing amidst discussions and requirement collections (but prior to sign off).
This is typical of a defence set up where personnel are constantly being transferred out. The one who takes over may or may not be
(a) in the complete know of previous discussions or
(b) in total agreement with all that has been discussed prior to that stage thereby leading to a possible disagreement on the requirements and thus further delays. Saving Changes...
Al TaylorI.T. Contractor| IndependentWaterloo, Ontario, Canada
a challenge is the duration...how long will it take and what does it mean to your project?....and...when will the requirements be good enough to proceed?....your approach (Agile vs Waterfall) will influence your response to this challenge Saving Changes...
