development projects failing? what can the business analyst do?
DESCRIPTION
This seminar strives to explore why development projects often fail to deliver and what the BA can do about it. Though there are no magic solutions that will fix development challenges, there are industry recognized practices that can help the BA or PM strive to keep the work on track and deliver value to the client on time. The first half of the presentation explores the cause of development project failures and the second half presents practical and applicable solutions that any BA or PM can bring back to their team.TRANSCRIPT
The Smarter Everyday project is owned and operated by CTE Solutions Inc.Jean-Francois
Why Development Projects Fail?
About J-F
● 20+ years of professional experience● Certified in Java, Delphi & C#● Practical BA and project management
experience
Overview
● Let's talk about:– Why project fail and succeed– Activities that BAs should do– Intergrating BA with the development project– Dealing with changes– Testing
Caveat!
● This is a descriptive presentation – not prescriptive
● No magic potion or silver bullets
Why Project Fail?
● Is it because of:
– Poor leadership?
– Poor requirement?
– Lack of technical skill?
– Poor communication?
– Client changing their minds?
– Changes in business?
– Changes in technology?
● List is not comprehensive
● First four are internal and can be controlled
● Last three are external and must be managed
Why Project Succeed?
● Is it because of:– Good leadership?– Good requirements?– Good technical skills?– Good communication?– Managing changes?
● 'Good enough' is good enough
What can a BA do about it?
● A BA plays a leadership position (yes, really!)
● BA is responsible for requirements
● Technical skills may not be necessary for a BA, but are handy
● BA is all about communication
● BA must be responsive to changes
A BA by any other name...
● The role of a BA can be synthetized into two distinct responsibilities:– A BA is responsible to ellicit and understand
requirements– A BA is responsible to communicate and
validate implementation of requirements
“But wait! That's not how we do things!!?!”
● Yes, I know– Every development team is unique– Every development endeavour is also unique
● Are you a BA by name or by function?● What is under your control or influence?● What is outside your control or influence?● Write it down!
My BA Control Sheet
What can I control What can I not control
I can start by creating such a table...
How can I help my project succeed?
● Know the difference between poor, good and great requirements– Poor is of little to no value to the development team– Good provide value to the development team– Great provice immediate and measurable value to the development
team
● A 300 page requirement binder does not equate great requirement
● Good enough is often synonimous with great
How can I help my project succeed? ../2
● Prioritize!
– Spend effort on high-value and high-risk requirements before low-value or low-risk requirements
● Do you know what your client considers important about the endeavour?
– Is it in writing?
● Do you understand what are the risks?
– If not, ask!
How can I help my project succeed? ../3
● Requirements should not be locked away– How easy is it for your development team to
access the requirements?– How early will they have access to the
requirements?
So, to succeed:
● The BA needs to create great requirements!● Easier said than done...
– How do I know my requirements are correct?– How do I deal with changes?– How can I ensure that the client is getting ROI?
The Waterfall Model
● What's wrong with this picture?● How can we assume that requirements are correct from
the very get-go?● Any flaws in our requirements will trickle down● Flaws might only be discovered late into the testing
phase● Sounds familiar?
The (unfortunate) origin of the Waterfall Model
● Popularized by the paper “Managing the Development of Large Software System”
● Published in 1970 by Wiston W. Royce● Never used the term Waterfall● Argued against the waterfall model
In other words...
● Software are not built...they are 'grown'● It is dangerous to assume that requirements
can gathered and be correct in a single pass● It is dangerous to assume that testing needs
to be performed in a single pass
Grown...Not Built
● Houses are built. Roads are built. Bridges are built● Software is grown● No two house or road or bridge can be build the same
– Designs may be shared– Different terrain, material, etc...– Once a bridge is build, it cannot be copy-pasted
● Developing software is more akin to designing a house than building a house, road or bridge
● Once software is written, it can be copied and pasted
Grown...Not Build ../2
● The BA plays the role of the architect– (Not that of the technical architect!)
● Just like architectural drawings gives a sense of the final product The requirements paint a picture of the finished software– The requirements are not the finished product!
● Until the product is complete, it is difficult—if not impossible—to fully test the requirements
Would you buy a car if...
● The dealer got you to fill out a questionaire and choose the vehicle for you?
● The dealer gave you only rough drawing of the vehicle?
● You had a chance to sit down in it and test drive it?● The same applies to software
How do you test requirements?
● With working software● With the client● Early● Often
How do you test requirements?
● Get to the 'test phase' as quickly as possible!
● Prioritize base on value and risk● Stop using the waterfall
Stop Using the Waterfall
● “How can we develop software if we don't have requirements??!?”
● You do not need all the requirements before you get started– Not even most– Not even a lot
● Work with the development team as a unified whole
BA and the Development Team
● The BA is an integral member of the team● The BA is the 'interface' between the client and the
developer● The BA is involved from the beginning to the end of
the project● There should not be 'BA/Development Team'
dichotomy
Modern Development Methodology
● It's not just a good idea—is the norm● Commonly called 'Iterative'
Iterative Software Development
● Work in Timeboxes● Goals defined before the start of an iteration● Goals are not limited to implementating features● Goals can include:
– Work on requirements– Update/review our understanding of value/risk– Prepare for testing, test and report on test
Are You Doing Iterative?
● Most development teams 'claim' to work in an Iterative fashion– Do your iteration have a written list of goals?– Are those goals developped with the team?– Do your timeboxes have a start and end date?– Do you respect the start and end of your timeboxes?– Were any test run during your iteration?– Where are your test reports?
Iterative Development and the BA
● BA needs to be involved from start to finish● Multiple incremental deliverable● Client gets a chance to test-drive the product
early● Client can provide feedback and validation early
– But what if the client changes their mind??!?
Software Development and Change
● How many BAs ever worked on a project that required changes to their requirements?
● How many Bas ever worked on a project that required no changes to their requirements?
● Change is not an exception—it's normal!● Remember: It is difficult, if not impossible to know
everything from the get-go
Dealing with Changes
● Change is a reality in the software development field– Otherwise, would we will have a job ;)
● It's not a question of protecting against—or resisting—changes, but to manage changes
How to Deal with Changes
● Agile Project Management● Developped in 2001 by 17 software
developers● Intergrates naturaly with iterative● Agile is a philosophy—not a method!
Agile Manifesto:
● We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
– Individuals and interactions over Processes and tools– Working software over Comprehensive documentation– Customer collaboration over Contract negotiation– Responding to change over Following a plan
● That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.
● http://agilemanifesto.org/
Agile and Iterative
● Two separate approach
but
● Integrate naturally● Spread from software development into
most project management disciplines
Caveats!
● Agile and Interative is not a free-for-all!– Requires discipline
● Requires good leadership● Test, test, test
BA and Testing
● The BA is not the tester● The BA is accountable for the testing!● The BA works with the test team and
ensures that they can and do the tests
BA and Testing ../2
● Do you:– have a test team?– have a test plan?– have a test lab?
● If not, are they on your iteration goals?
In summary...
● Prioritize base on value and risk● It's OK for the team to work in parallel● It's OK to start writing code while requirements are
begin gathered● Change happens and it's normal. Manage it● It's OK Necessary to start testing as soon as possible
Homework
● Write down what you can and cannot control● Identify what your client considers value● Identify risks that would put the endeavour in jeopardy● Write down short term goals that you need to achieve● Commit to a date for the above goal and review them
when that date rolls around.
Final Wisdom
Write a list of short-term and long-term goals you would like to achieve as a BA
then
Take small, incremental steps to reach those goal
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