Techniques

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1. Acceptance and Evaluation Criteria Definition : To define the requirements that must be
met in order for a solution to be considered acceptable to key stakeholders.
Advantages : Agile methodologies may require that all requirements be expressed in the
form of testable acceptance criteria. Acceptance criteria are also necessary when the
requirements express contractual obligations. Disadvantages :Acceptance and evaluation
criteria may express contractual obligations and as such may be difficult to change for legal
or political reasons. Applicability : Requirement Elicitation , Business Bidding
2. Benchmarking Definition : Benchmark studies are performed to compare the strengths
and weaknesses of an organization against its peers and competitors. Advantages :
Benchmarking provides organizations with information about new and different methods,
ideas, and tools to improve organizational performance. Disadvantages : Benchmarking
is time consuming. In addition, organizations may not have the expertise to conduct the
analysis and acquire or interpret useful competitive information. Because it involves
assessing solutions that have been shown to work elsewhere, with the goal of reproducing
them, benchmarking cannot produce innovative. Applicability : Business Bidding,
Requirement Analysis , Business Solution Design
3. Brainstorming Definition : It is used in a group by focusing on a topic or problem
Advantages Ability to elicit many ideas in a short time period. Non-judgmental
environment enables creative thinking. Can be useful during a workshop to reduce tension
between participants. Disadvantages Dependent on participants creativity and
willingness to participate. Organizational and interpersonal politics may also limit
participation. Group participants must agree to avoid debating the ideas raised during
brainstorming. Applicability : Business Bidding, Requirement Elicitation
4. Business Rules Analysis Definition : Defines the rules that govern decisions in an
organization and that define, constrain, or enable organizational operations.
Advantages : Can make changes to policy without altering processes. The Easy
business rules change assessment Disadvantages : Lengthy lists of business rules.
Business rules contradictions. Applicability :Requirement Analysis, Requirement
Documentation, Requirement Elicitation
5. Data Dictionary and Glossary Definition : A data dictionary or glossary defines key
terms and data relevant to a business domain. Advantages : Ensures that all
stakeholders are in agreement on the format and content of relevant information. Records
consistently used terms Disadvantages : Time Consuming. Wrong Interpretation of
words may be possible. Applicability : Requirement Analysis, Requirement Documentation

6. Data Flow Diagrams Definition : To show how information is input, processed, stored,
and output from a system. Strengths : Easy To Understand A useful analysis
deliverable to developers in a structured programming environment. Weaknesses : Do
not easily show who performs the work and alternative paths. Applicability : Requirement
Analysis, Requirement Documentation
7. Data Modeling Definition : It describes the concepts relevant to a domain, the
relationships between those concepts, and information associated with them.
Advantages Flexibility of different levels of description. Consistent modeling approach
that supports the transition through planning, analysis, design and implementation.
Accuracy in Development Disadvantages Complex for Non Technical Background
People Difficult for users to understand and relate to. Terms and definitions may vary in
use in different organizational units or domains. Applicability : Requirement Analysis,
Requirement Documentation
8. Decision Analysis Definition : It supports decision-making when dealing with complex,
difficult, or uncertain situations. Advantages Determines the expected value of an
alternative scenario to the organization. Provides quantitative measures to make
investment decisions. Assessment of Different Alternatives Importance for stakeholders
Disadvantages Requires specialized knowledge and skills. Results of decision analysis
may become more certain if decision- makers do not understand the limitations and the
assumptions behind it. Applicability : Requirement Analysis, Requirement Documentation
9. Document Analysis Definition : Document analysis is a means to elicit requirements by
studying available documentation on existing and comparable solutions and identifying
relevant Advantages Not starting from a blank page. Leveraging existing materials to
discover and/or confirm requirements. A means to cross-check requirements from other
elicitation techniques such as interviews, job shadowing, surveys or focus groups.
Disadvantages Limited to as-is perspective. Existing documentation may not be up-todate or valid. Can be a time-consuming and even tedious process to locate the relevant
information Applicability : Requirement Elicitation, Requirement Analysis
10. Estimation Definition : It is forecasting the cost and effort involved in pursuing a course
of action. Advantages Make better decisions. Disadvantages Estimates may be
treated as commitments. Estimates may be altered to match the desires of influential
stakeholders Applicability : Business Bidding , Requirement Analysis
11. Focus Groups Definition : It is a means to elicit ideas and attitudes about a specific
product, service or opportunity in an interactive group environment. Advantages Data
Elicitation from a group in a single session Effective for learning peoples attitudes,
experiences and desires. Active discussion enables personal view of participants
Disadvantages In the group setting, participants may be concerned about issues of trust,
or may be unwilling to discuss sensitive or personal topics. Data collected (what people
say) may not be consistent with how people actually behave. A skilled moderator may be
required to manage group Applicability : Requirement Elicitation
12. Functional Decomposition Definition : It is breaking larger processes, functional areas
into their components to analyze each part independently Advantages Creates a

conceptual model of the work. Provides all stakeholders with a consistent view of the
scope of the effort. Assists estimating Disadvantages No way to be certain that all
components have been captured. Decomposing a problem without fully understanding the
relationship between pieces of the problem may create an inappropriate structure that
impedes analysis. Applicability : Requirement Analysis
13. Interface Analysis Definition : To identify interfaces between solutions and/or solution
components and define requirements that describe how they will interact Advantages
Early identification of interfaces provides an early, high-level view of interoperability for
planning: Impact on delivery date. Collaboration with other systems or projects.
Specification of the interfaces should prevent difficulties in integrating multiple
components. Disadvantages Does not provide insight into other aspects of the solution
since the analysis does not assess the internal components. Applicability : Requirement
Analysis , Requirement Elicitation , Requirement Documentation , Business Bidding
14. Interviews Definition : It is a systematic approach to elicit information from a person or
group of people in an informal or formal setting by asking relevant questions and
documenting the responses. Advantages Encourages participation and creates
satisfaction with the stakeholder. Allows the interviewer and participant to have full
discussions Enables observations of non-verbal behavior. Clear Understanding of
problems and Maintains Focus towards interview objectives Brings out views of reluctant
interviewees also Disadvantages Not an ideal means of reaching consensus across a
group of stakeholders. Requires commitment and involvement of the participants.
Training required for conducting effective interviews. Depth of follow-on questions may be
dependent on the interviewers knowledge of the business domain. Analysis of interview
data can be complex and expensive. Documentation dependent on Interviewers
interpretation. Risk of unintentionally leading the interviewee. Applicability : Requirement
Elicitation , Business Bidding
15. Lessons Learned Process Definition : It is a way to compile and document successes,
opportunities for improvement, failures, and recommendations for improving the performance
of future. Advantages Useful for identifying opportunities for process improvement.
Builds team morale after a difficult period.e projects or project phases Disadvantages
participants may assign blame during these sessions or honest discussion may not occur.
Participants may be reluctant to document and discuss problems May risk becoming a
gripe session and improvement opportunities may be neglected. Applicability : Project
Implementation , Operations
16. Metrics and Key Performance Indicators Definition : It measures the performance of
solutions, solution components, and other matters of interest to stakeholders.
Advantages Enables stakeholders to understand the extent to which a solution meets an
objective, and effective of activities of developing the solution (output) were. Indicators,
metrics and reporting also facilitate organizational alignment, linking goals to objectives,
supporting solutions, underlying tasks, and resources. Disadvantages Gathering
excessive amounts of data beyond what is needed will result in unnecessary expense in
collecting, analyzing and reporting. Individuals being measured are likely to act to increase

their performance on those metrics Applicability : Business Bidding , Requirement

Elicitation
17. Non-functional Requirements Analysis Definition : It describes the required qualities of
a system, such as its usability and performance characteristics. Advantages : Strong
influence on whether or not a system is accepted by its users. Disadvantages : More
difficult to define than functional requirements. Expectations regarding quality attributes
may not be described Overly stringent non-functional requirements may significantly
impact the cost of developing a software application Applicability : Requirement Analysis,
Requirement Documentation
18. Organization Modeling Definition : It describes the roles, responsibilities and reporting
structures that exist within an organization and to align those structures with the
organizations goals Advantages Organizational models are one of the few types of
models any organization is almost certain to have defined. Disadvantages
Organizational redesigns are likely to be highly contentious and require significant executive
support in order to be successful. Informal lines of authority and communication that are
not reflected Applicability : Requirement Analysis
19. Problem Tracking Definition : It is a way to track, manage, and resolute defects, issues,
problems, and risks throughout business analysis activities. Advantages Organized
method for tracking and resolving risks, issues and defects. Mechanism to communicate
problems across the team. Disadvantages Fails if regular prioritization and management
of problems is not done, Fails If key team members are not available on a regular basis to
discuss the lists of problems. Time Consuming Activity Applicability : Requirement
Validation , Testing , Project Implementation
20. Process Modeling Definition : To understand how work that involves multiple roles and
departments is performed within an organization Advantages Most stakeholders are
comfortable with the basic elements of and concepts behind a process model. Show how
to handle a large number of scenarios and parallel branches. Can be used by business
stakeholders for training and co-ordination Disadvantages Can become extremely
complex and unwieldy if not structured Problems in a process cannot always be identified
by looking at the model. Applicability : Requirement Analysis, Requirement
Documentation,Business Solution Design
21. Prototyping Definition : It describes user interface requirements and integrates them
with other requirements such as use cases, scenarios, data and business rules.
Advantages : Stakeholders often find prototyping to be a concrete means of identifying,
describing and validating their interface needs. Supports users comfortable and effective
at articulating their needs by using pictures Early user interaction and feedback. An
inexpensive means to quickly confirm requirements that go beyond just the interface such as
processes, data, business rules. Can demonstrate feasibility with existing systems.
Provide designers and developers a clear view of user interface needs Disadvantages
Time Consuming Assumptions need to be made initiate prototyping. May lead users to
develop unrealistic expectations. Users may focus on the design specifications of the
solution Applicability : Requirement Analysis , Business Bidding , Requirement Elicitation

22. Requirements Workshop Definition : A structured way to capture requirements

Advantages Elicit detailed requirements in a relatively short period of time. Stakeholders
can make decisions and gain a mutual understanding of requirements. Cost Effective
Solution than serial interviews Feedback is immediate. Disadvantages Stakeholder
availability may hamper performance The success of the requirements workshop is highly
dependent on the expertise of the facilitator and knowledge of the participants.
Applicability : Requirement Analysis, Requirement Elicitation
23. Risk Analysis Definition :To identify and manage areas of uncertainty that can impact
an initiative, solution, or organization. Advantages Risk analysis enables an organization
to prepare for the likelihood that at least some things will not go as planned.
Disadvantages The number of possible risks to most initiatives can easily become
unmanageably large. It may only be possible to manage a subset of potential risks.
Applicability : Business Bidding , Requirement Analysis
24. Root Cause Analysis Purpose : The purpose of root cause analysis is to determine the
underlying source of a problem. Advantages : Root cause analysis provides a structured
method to identify the root causes of identified problems, thus ensuring a complete
understanding of the problem under review, Disadvantages : Root cause analysis works
best when someone who has formal training or extensive experience facilitates a team of
experts. The primary concern revolves around the ability of the facilitator to remain objective,
a critical element to effective root cause analysis. Applicability : Requirement Analysis ,
Business Solution Design
25. Scenarios and Use Cases Definition : Scenarios and use cases describe the
interaction between the actors and the system and goals of the actors. Advantages
Provide high-level understanding of user behavioral goals, normal situations, alternatives or
exception paths through an activity diagram or use case scenarios. Disadvantages
Business analysts are frequently tempted to describe most or all system behavior using use
cases. Because many requirements can be captured in the use case format, there is
frequently a temptation to use them to capture all requirements, even in situations where it is
difficult to apply them or another analysis method might prove more effective. Additional
analysis and design is usually required after use case definition is complete to identify these
common elements. Applicability : Requirement Elicitation, Requirement Analysis ,
Requirement Documentation
26. Scope Modeling Definition : It describes the scope of analysis or the scope of a
solution Advantages Determine in and out of scope requirements for a solution.
Disadvantages Leaves much of the detailed scope to be investigated. Applicability
Requirement Documentation
27. Sequence Diagrams Definition: Sequence diagrams are used to model the logic of
usage scenarios, by showing the information passed between objects in the system through
the execution of the scenario Advantages The sequence diagram may be used in objectoriented analysis to validate class diagrams against use cases , or to show the timing of
interactions between entities within the system scope. Disadvantages A sequence
diagram must be defined for each possible scenario. Strictly speaking, a sequence diagram

requires a fully defined class model Applicability: Requirement Analysis, Requirement

Documentation
28. State Diagrams Definition : A state diagram shows how the behavior of a concept,
entity or object changes in response to events. Advantages Domain SMEs can be kept
aware of life cycle states for their key concerns. Disadvantages Each state should be
validated to determine if it is relevant to the solution scope which may be time consuming
Applicability : Requirement Analysis, Requirement Documentation
29. Structured Walkthrough Definition : Structured walkthroughs are performed to
communicate, verify and validate requirements Advantages : Promotes discussion of the
requirements among stakeholders. Effective at identifying possible ambiguities and areas
of misunderstanding. Disadvantages : Review sessions can lead to repeated revisions if
changes are not carefully managed. The length of the revision and review cycle can result in
a lengthy approval process. Applicability : Requirement Validation, Requirement Elicitation
30. Survey/ Questionaire Definition : It elicits information from many people, in an
anonymous way in a relatively short period of time. It can collect information about
customers, products, work practices and attitudes. Advantages Can obtain quantitative
data for use in statistical analysis. Can obtain not easily obtainable through other elicitation
techniques. Inexpensive and Lesser Time is required Effective when stakeholders are
not located in one location. Disadvantages Use of open-ended questions requires more
analysis. Ambiguous results can be obtained. Not well suited for collecting information
on actual behaviors. Response rates for surveys may be too low for statistical
significance. Applicability : Requirement Elicitation
31. SWOT ANALYSIS Definition : It is a tool to quickly analyze various aspects of the
current state of the business process undergoing change. Advantages It can quickly
analyze various aspects of the current state of the organization and its environment.
Disadvantages It is a very high-level view and more detailed analysis is almost always
needed. Applicability : Business Bidding, Requirement Analysis
32. User Stories Definition : User Stories are a brief description of functionality that users
need from a solution to meet a business objective. Advantages User stories create an
environment of customer ownership of features and prioritizations in an incremental, iterative
development environment. They may eliminate the need to provide functional requirements in
some environments. User stories also require that the value delivered by the story be clearly
articulated. Disadvantages They may not be the best technique for some environments
with regulatory restrictions or when an organization mandates documentation. This modeling
technique may not be effective when participants are not co-located. This technique does not
explicitly address how to document non-functional requirements. Applicability :
Requirements Elicitation
33. Vendor Assessment Definition : To assess the ability of a potential vendor to meet
commitments regarding a product or service. Advantages An effective vendor
assessment reduces the risk of the organization developing a relationship with an unsuitable
vendor and is likely to improve long-term satisfaction with the decision. Disadvantages
Can be time-consuming to gather sufficient information on multiple vendors. Some

information may not be readily available. Vendors with new and innovative products may
score poorly because they do not have a significant history in the market. Applicability :
Business Bidding , Business Solution Design