Biggest Problem in IT Projects - Getting Good Requirements

One of the biggest problems you’ll run into with IT projects is something called scope creep. Scope creep is when the client changes their mind about the project or figures out that something is missing from the project after it’s already started. You’ll find lots of books on how to curtail scope creep, but the fundamental idea is to get clear on what the customer really wants before you begin the development process. So how do you do this?

First, you need to have an in-depth conversation or two with your client – or as many as it takes to get clear on what he or she wants. Spend enough time with them to talk about how the system will be used, what it will be used for, who will use it, the interfaces to and from this system and what it will produce. You’ll need to structure you thinking around these topics and then expand the discussion around each topic until you have series of testable statements (requirements) that reflect what the client wants.

There are a couple of good websites you can review to see how to move through this process. The first is the Software Engineering Institute website (www.sei.cmu.edu, search on “requirements”). Here you’ll find papers and processes describing the software development process and specifically the software requirement s gathering process. You can also find some good information on www.wikipedia under the topic of “requirements analysis”.

You might be interested to know that the Project Management Institute’s ANSI standard, the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), 4th edition, has completed its pre-publishing review process. I had a chance to review it and there is a new process called “gather requirements”. The entire project management industry has come to recognize the importance of product requirements in the success of all projects, not just software related projects.

• IT project problems
• project management
• Requirements