british gas iiba 1.0

© British Gas Trading Limited 2011

Agile Business Requirements & Facilitated Discussion

Julie Franks

Ewan AshleyDate : 3rd April 2012


Agenda & Introduction

• House keeping

• Part 1: Agile Business Requirements

• Part 2: Discussion & Group Activity

• Prize Draw

• Networking

Slide 2


Agile Business Requirement – What does that Mean?

• Depends upon your organisation

• Depends upon your team

• What does the business think Agile is?

Agile analysis is more than a method

Agile analysis is how to complete activities quickly and consistently


Agile Business Requirements

Slide 4

• A challenging summer•Lots of projects were being shaped

•Stakeholders kept changing (IS & Business)

•Changes to Scope

•Timescales would come and go

•Business were demanding

• IS costs were escalating

• 15 plus projects• BAU in the Business• Analysis was slow• Lack of Clarity • No decisions made• Little Development

• New IS Management• New Head of Change• MD announcement• Project staff changes

• New stakeholders = new requirements

• Questions asked ‘Why is this projects doing…’

• Work was being thrown away

• Lack of Project Control

• Deliveries were late• Deliverable were

squeezed• All Change

• Pressure to deliver• Manic Contact Centre• Attrition Increasing• Compliance• Market jitters

• Little was delivered• Requirements weren’t

followed• Lots of expensive

resource• Estimating wasn’t

great• IS seen as slow


What would you Do?

• Break into groups• Decide on 5 things you would do for your scenario

– What would be your method when approaching analysis tasks– How would you get your current requirements clarified and prioritised– How would you stop the need for scope change– How would you settle stakeholders

– How would you deal with time management, conflicts and constraints

– Make time to discuss in your group and then share and compare with your fellow table

– You have 20 minutes

– Present your findings back to the whole group


Exercise Feedback

What would be your method when approaching analysis tasks


Exercise Feedback

How would you get your current requirements clarified and prioritised


Exercise Feedback

How would you stop the need for scope change


Exercise Feedback

How would you settle stakeholders


Exercise Feedback

How would you deal with time management, conflicts and constraints


Large Systems Replacement

• More than 1 years worth of analysis had happened• Put in place a joint method of working• Gained consensus to the approach – everyone was on the bus• We knew how to deal with deviations• Rapid Turn around of fixed tasks each day

– Monday Finalise and publish presentation– Tuesday Run through materials before workshop– Wednesday Run Workshop and produce all outputs– Thursday Walk through outcomes with other teams– Friday Gain feedback. Start Presentation for following

week

• All stakeholders had skin in the game• It was a team effort facilitated by the BA’s


Did the Approach Work?

• Stakeholders felt engaged• The right people were in the room• All IS staff were committed to the approach• Clear deliverables set out in the approach• Timeliness of output demonstrated commitment• A clear direction was gained as a result of the

approach• Stakeholders still talk about its success

Yes


Systems Refresh

• Two systems needed updating

• Vital for the business, a lot of noise to IS• Agreed how to progress with stakeholders

• System G required rationalisation and code updates• Methodology was rapid, code first - requirements second• Requirements were gathered quickly to suit rapid development• Problems came from the testing team

• System R required systems overhaul including process change• Requirements remained static• All Stakeholders kept changing their mind



• The business needed quick change so approach was good

• The Business knew what they would receive

• Requirements were had a base line fast

• Delivery mechanism kept changing

• Questions over outsourcing strategy dulled the approach

• The consensus view stalled

• Past decisions keep being called into question

• Confidence has been lost

In Parts


New System

• A new system had been worked on for 1 year• Deliverables were slow and over engineered• Back log was being changed daily by Product Owners with the

development team• Development staff often spent time doing nothing as requirements

weren’t clear• Analysis approach was agreed• Rapid Turn round in weekly iterations

– Requirements Clarification– Work with the Scrum– Develop code– Test and Release



• The team started to gain clarity on what was required

• Requirements which were not essential were re-prioritised

• Technical progress was made on backlog

• Everyone was busy

However…

• Approach never realised full potential as the project was stopped

Yes


Take Away Lessons

• Set out your approach carefully with a good story as to why• Get buy-in from everyone - Senior stakeholder will give a

greater chance of success• Requirements Capture doesn’t have to be formal or slow• Don’t succumb to pressure• If you promise to do something, make sure you deliver• Make sure you don’t over commit• Work as a team to get the job done• Re-sell the message when you can• You can change your style but you can’t stop the clock


Questions?


Agile Business Requirements – Facilitated Discussion

Slide 19


What to do now…for 10 minutes

For Against

Conclusions

Slide 20

• Draw on your experiences for shared learning• Get together in your groups take your statement and come up with arguments

For and Against that statement.

• What conclusions can you draw?


What to do now…for 10 minutes

Briefly discuss your conclusions with the other group that is looking at the same question

Slide 21

Image: renjith krishnan - http://www.freedigitalphotos.net


Feedback

Slide 22


Feedback

Slide 23


Feedback

Slide 24


Feedback

Slide 25


Feedback

Slide 26


Networking and Vote

Slide 27

People image: ddpavumba - http://www.freedigitalphotos.net


And finally…Prize Draw

Slide 28

Ronald G. Ross‘father of business rules’

Building Business Solutions: Business Analysis with Business Rules

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