Using Volere to establish a programme of work

[Megan]

Hi
I've been asked to use Volere to create a 'requirements type document'
for a set of work initiatives to be conducted in 2009. There aren't
really requirements as such for these. For example one of the
initiatives is to investigate and document a standard BA process
across all areas of the organisation (ie write requriements doc, help
with functional spec, provide support downstream etc). The thing is I
am trying to document the proposals for these initiatives (rather than
actually do the work) but do it with clear goals, stakeholders etc.
It is almost more a set of business cases from which a decision must
be made on which to progress with

I don't think I can use a context diagram or business events list or
anything like that. And though I have been able to get reasonable fit
criterions I don't have any requirements. As I have been aked
specifically to use Volere for this I am trying to fit it as best I
can.

My question is; do you think it is reasonable to use Volere for this
type of work? and have any of you done something similar with Volere
previously?

Thanks for your help!
Megan

[Suzanne Robertson]

Hello Megan,

You could use the Volere framework if you treat the BA process as "the
work". In other words, the part of the business within the context of the
work that you are studying is the work of doing Business Analysis.

Your context diagram identifies the input and and output data that comes
from and goes to from Customers, Other Departments, People, External
Organisations.....

Each of the input flows of data identifies a Business Event and the response
of the work to that business event is a Business Use Case or BUC.

For example: You might have an input called "Project Brief" that comes from
an internal client. The business event is: Internal Client wants to initiate
project. The Business Use Case (BUC) might be: Assess Project Brief and
respond with questions and estimates.

You can represent the BUC as a BUC scenario or a model (process flow,
activity diagram or any other model that you are familiar with).

I suggest that you would also take each BUC and do a number of different
views. For example:
- how it works now
- what it is doing (this is the essence)
- suggestions for how it can work in the future

You could also write atomic functional requirements for each BUC. But I
would not do this at the outset but would tend to work at the BUC scenario
level. You can attach a fit criterion to each BUC as a way of making sure
everyone understands and shares the same success criteria.

The important point is that you write requirements at different levels of
detail. We often think that the only requirements are at the atomic level
(points 9-17 on the Volere template) but that is not so. From the Work
Context to the Atomic Requirements there are a number of different levels of
detail.

Last point is that the work of doing Business Analysis is the scope of work
that you need to investigate and Volere provides you with a framework for
exploring it and tracing the different levels of detail. This is a business
problem like any other.

I hope that this is helpful.

Kind Regards
Suzanne

==============================================================
Suzanne Robertson
Principal of The Atlantic Systems Guild
suz...@systemsguild.net
www.systemsguild.com <http://www.systemsguild.com>
www.volere.co.uk <http://www.volere.co.uk>

New book 'Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies - Understanding Patterns
of Project Behavior http://www.dorsethouse.com/books/ajtz.html

==============================================================

[James Robertson]

Megan,

might I suggest that you look at the back of your Mastering the
Requirements book (the hardbound one) and Appendix A shows the process
for gathering requirements. It is in data flow form and you might
want to alter some of the processes, flows, etc. IMHO this is the
optimal way of showing a BA process.

Let me know if you need more information.

James

[Megan]

Thank you both for your help and yes I will be trying to steer towards
the Volere process for requirements gathering where possible :-)

[Suzanne Robertson]

Megan,

Please keep in touch with the group and let us know how you are progressing.
Lots of people will be interested in your experiences and will be a good
source of input.

Regards
Suzanne

> Thank you both for your help and yes I will be trying to steer towards
> the Volere process for requirements gathering where possible :-)
>
> >