20
votes
What techniques can identify missing requirements?
I'm not entirely sure if that is still "project management", but what has helped me in my developer role is to actually take a day and do the work that my program is supposed to improve.
...
- 8,471
10
votes
What to do with Business Analysts in a Scrum environment?
TLDR
They're a bunch of oxygen thieves who are holding you back. Either make them into useful people, get rid of them or have them guard the bees.
Same point with more nuance (arguably):
The BAs ...
- 1,255
10
votes
Accepted
What techniques can identify missing requirements?
Software is never finished, merely abandoned.
Don't remember who said this first, but it's true. After you spend some time in the industry, you inevitably reach the same conclusion. And based on this, ...
- 15k
8
votes
Does it make sense to require developers to write a "business value add" section in each issue?
Here's my TL:DR answer: No!
The engineer shouldn't be working on something if the business value isn't already defined. It's the voice of the customer (product manager, product owner, business ...
- 12.5k
8
votes
How does a Scrum Team handle traditional BA responsibilities?
To answer this effectively, it is important to split roles, job titles, and skills. Scrum has absolutely nothing to say about job titles, so we can actually resolve that fairly quickly by saying: as ...
- 16.9k
7
votes
Does a business analyst fit into the Scrum framework?
TL;DR
The canonically-correct solution is to put someone with business analysis skills onto the Scrum Team in a Developer role, and then cross-train the whole Scrum Team. Cross-pollination of skills ...
- 50.1k
5
votes
What is the difference between Business/Management Consultant and Project Manager?
A title is just a name.
One of the first jobs I applied for just out of university was a position called "Superstar Programmer". Another was "Junior Programmer".
Had I taken the first job, would I ...
- 14.8k
5
votes
Value Adding VS Non Value Adding - Technique to identify.
If you reduce or remove a non value adding activity the overall outcome won't change, but the process time will be reduced. Often the non value adding activities take some time, but they can be caused ...
- 11.9k
5
votes
What is the difference between metric and KPI?
A metric would be a standard of measurement in the context of PM. A performance indicator on the other hand is also just a type of performance measurement. Both terms could be and are used ...
- 195
5
votes
Does it make sense to require developers to write a "business value add" section in each issue?
Leadership 101: Do not force the team to do something for the sake of doing something.
On the surface, it seems to be a very nice idea, being poorly implemented.
The straight answer for the ...
- 8,625
5
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between the project manager and business analyst role?
They're just different roles.
A PM is responsible for guiding the project to successful completion.
A Business Analyst is typically responsible for elaborating the solution from concept to ...
- 489
5
votes
Problems with a decision on layoffs
Assuming that you are the Project Manager (otherwise, why would you post this to our site), you have no "right" to disclose this information to your team, since it was told to you in ...
- 4,562
5
votes
Does a business analyst fit into the Scrum framework?
There are two answers here - the Scrum answer and the my practical answer.
In Scrum, there are three "accountabilities" (prior to the November 2020 revision, roles) on a Scrum Team - Scrum ...
- 19k
5
votes
Does a business analyst fit into the Scrum framework?
I have seen many business analysts work well in Scrum teams.
The three biggest challenges for them are typically:
Reaching a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities with the Product Owner
...
- 19.5k
4
votes
Does it make sense to require developers to write a "business value add" section in each issue?
this is the job of the engineer working on the issue as they're the one most familiar with it.
Technically, no. The engineer working on the issue is the one most familiar with the technical details ...
- 14.8k
4
votes
What is the difference between metric and KPI?
I once read a case about a development organization - they were trying to improve the administration of justice in an underdeveloped country. They had a way to measure the administration of justice (...
- 8,728
4
votes
Is implement business analysis in an organisation the best way?
Your biggest problem is a toxic work environment.
As you note,
we yell at the technical person telling him almost literally that he is "not smart" enough to understand what we are trying to do.
...
- 14.8k
4
votes
Business requirements and a fixed price contract
A FFP is not appropriate for your customer or you. If you pursue that you have to load it with a ton of contingency in both money and time that it would make it unfeasible for a normal customer. And ...
- 37.1k
4
votes
First step in analyzing the problem and coming up with the solution
Ignoring the substantive issue you're facing and focusing on the process of problem resolution, the general flow looks something like this:
Clearly articulated problem statement: seems like you have ...
- 37.1k
4
votes
Does a business analyst fit into the Scrum framework?
I usually see BAs work in one of two ways. Sometimes they assist on items being developed in the current sprint by providing their domain expertise to developers, helping to fill in any missing ...
- 6,251
4
votes
How to estimate scaling up costs of a project?
I think there are some fundamentals you're missing about app development, product development, etc.
I recommend getting familiar with something like Lean methodology (https://www.interaction-design....
- 141
4
votes
How to estimate scaling up costs of a project?
Let's split your question into several pieces;
Startup costs: You put a budget and try to fit into that. There's no math behind "how much minimum budget is needed for my product idea?". ...
- 486
3
votes
Requirement gathering cut off when the time for requirement collection is too long
Whether you're doing a big or a small project your approach should be something like this:
Discover what the users want (go talk to them, for example)
Build a smallest version of that (for example no ...
- 567
3
votes
How do you keep documentation on long-term project?
We differentiate between documentation for:
Developers: This goes right in the source code and will be stored in Git. Whenever a function is added or updated, some "text in green" (our wording for ...
- 41
3
votes
Business requirements and a fixed price contract
Without detailed and fully agreed requirements, you have a load of assumptions. I suggest you document the assumptions as fully as possible, then structure a contract on a time and materials basis ...
- 6,793
3
votes
How does your functional resource work during iterations?
Business analysts and Designers in a Scrum team
Business analysts help provide detailed requirements to the dev team. So, in a Scrum team a business analyst can be a part of the Product Owner (PO) ...
- 11.1k
3
votes
How do I measure employee (software developer) performance based on bugs analyzed and fixed?
TL;DR
Successful leaders measure project outcomes rather than individual productivity. Measuring individual productivity is generally an anti-pattern that obfuscates deeper structural problems.
Do you ...
- 50.1k
3
votes
Does a business analyst fit into the Scrum framework?
Scrum just says that the team needs to have all the skills needed to build the product and all the product increments leading up to the final result. Although no other role than "developer" ...
- 15k
3
votes
Business Analyst and domain knowledge
Is a Business Analyst supposed to have domain knowledge?
Yes, a BA needs to have domain knowledge, otherwise they won't be efficient in interacting with stakeholders, creating business analysis and ...
- 15k
3
votes
Dealing with incompetent BA
I believe that it is highly likely that focusing the question on the competence of the business analyst is looking for problems in people rather than in the surrounding system.
Although I would expect ...
- 19k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible