Client Interview Requirements Gathering Workshop ITEC 455 Business

Client Interview & Requirements Gathering Workshop ITEC 455 Business Requirements Analysis Marisa Thomas, Jesse Felter, Don Draper Deloitte Consulting LLP September 28, 2010

Agenda Introductions The Requirements Gathering Process How to Have a Successful Client Meeting Tips and Tricks for a Successful Interview U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 Exercise

Introductions n Marisa Thomas – Senior Consultant at Deloitte Consulting. Joined firm in July 2006 – Kogod MBA ’ 06, concentrations in IT Management and Marketing – Has experience as a functional lead for a Rapid Application Development team n Jesse Felter – Manager at Deloitte Consulting. Joined firm in March 2007 – Carnegie Mellon University, B. S. ’ 04, concentration in Information Systems and Psychology – Has 6 years of experience with the system development lifecycle including requirements analysis, system design, development, testing, and implementation Draper – Manager at Deloitte Consulting. Joined firm in March 2006 – University of Maryland, MBA ‘ 05, concentrations in Finance and Strategy – Has 10 years of experience with the system development lifecycle including requirements analysis, system design, development, testing, and implementation U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 n

The Requirements Gathering Process § Define the current environment. Determine High Level System Requirements § Determine gaps and pain points in the current process. § Find out what activities are performed on a daily § Document what basis. requirements are within scope of the system. § Determine who is involved in the process and when. § Prioritize requirements to determine which can be part of later system enhancements. Validate and Document Requirements § Create use cases. § Meet with client to validate all system requirements. § Receive client approval to move ahead with system development. U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 Define the Business Process

Determine the Business Process § Goal: To have a clear understanding of the current business process and activities. § End Result: Business Process Map § How to do it: – Define the actors within the process. – Determine the high level steps of the process. – Ask leading questions about each part of the process. U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 – Talk about activities and responsibilities for every role.

Determine High Level System Requirements § Goal: To have an understanding of the scope of system requirements and client needs. § End Result: A list of requirements that is ready to be formatted into use cases. § How to do it: – Interview as many users and stakeholders as possible. – Review interview notes and prioritize system needs. – Evaluate possible requirements against the scope of the project. U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 – Ask clarifying questions about the business process.

Validate and Document Requirements § Goal: To receive client verification for documented system requirements. § End Result: Use Cases that can be used for system development. § How to do it: – Clearly document all requirements in use case format. U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 – Arrange a final requirements meeting to go over these with the client in person.

How to Have a Successful Meeting § Set Objectives § Select Appropriate Client Personnel to Interview § Determine the Type of Interview § Consider Outside Information § Develop an Agenda U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 § Decide on a Method of Documentation

Step 1: Set Objectives § The first step is to establish a clear focus for the interview § Important questions to ask yourself are: – What types of information do I expect to get from the interview? – Is this the best way to get the information I need? U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 – Are there any “gaps” within the information I have that may require client interaction?

Step 2: Select Appropriate Client Personnel § Do your homework by knowing the organizational structure of your client § Learn as much about your client before coming into the interview – This will help to gear the interview towards each person’s position and personality U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 – By doing so you will establish credibility and rapport with the interviewee

Step 3: Determine the Type of Interview § One on One Interview – Typically more comfortable for the interviewee – Interviewee may be willing to share more information than when in a group environment § Group Interview – Great way to get a range of information in a short amount of time U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 – May be difficult to schedule

Step 4: Consider Outside Information § Gather as much information as possible – Review public forms, reports, manuals and other forms of available information U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 § This will increase the efficiency of the time with your clients

Step 5: Develop an Agenda § Documents your objectives and goals for the meeting § Helps make sure that important points are not overlooked U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 § Keeps the interview moves in a logical progression

Step 6: Decide on a Method of Documentation § Decide how information will be documented – Will someone take notes? – Will the meeting be audio or video taped? U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 § Establishing this before the meeting will help the meeting run smoother and guarantee that all important points are captured

Tips and Tricks for a Successful Interview § Lead the conversation with the information that you already know § Consider the interviewee’s knowledge and role U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 § Paraphrase important findings throughout the interview to make sure you have accurate understanding

How to Get the Information You Want § Ask lots of open ended questions § Use phrases and words that are easy to understand § Avoid biased or loaded questions § Ask for the opportunity to follow up after the interview to fill in any gaps you may have U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 § Don’t hesitate to move the interview along with guiding questions

Exercise: Instructions § Break into your project teams § Discuss your approach to scenario – Interview questions to ask – How to prepare (preparation, research, etc. ) – Possible Agenda – Team member role and responsibilities § Designate a group spokesperson to present your questions § Client Questioning: 5 minutes per team § Updates to Team Preparation: 15 minutes U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 § Team Preparation: 15 minutes

U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 Questions

Case Study: Audit Application n Client: The Audit Department who is responsible for cooperating with and responding to audit requests from various auditing agencies. They are the main liaison between these audit agencies and the department(s) within the company affected by the audit. n Application Purpose: To automate and simplify the process of tracking all documentation necessary for audits. Current process: The process is manual and outdated, and change is necessary in order to enable a more efficient, streamlined audit tracking process. Multiple individuals are involved in the process, so the automation of the business process will also reduce chance of duplicate efforts made within the team. How would you prepare for your first client interview? U. S. Consulting On-screen Presentation Template_LARGE_Blue_042707 n