Handling User Requirements in Technology Projects
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The document discusses strategies for successfully managing projects, emphasizing the importance of defining roles, responsibilities, and communication channels. It advocates for the use of user stories and various tools for documentation and project tracking while highlighting the need for discipline and ongoing client collaboration. The document concludes with a motivation to continuously learn and improve project delivery while ensuring client satisfaction.
Handling User Requirements in Technology Projects
- 2. WHAT DO WE WANT TO AVOID HY ARE WE HERE?WHY ARE WE HERE 2
- 3. YOUR TYPICAL PROJECT After a long protracted negotiation Fixed cost Fixed timeline Defined scope (it is obsolete by now) What happens along the way Requirements keep changing along the way Stakeholder influencing on scope Timelines are too short No single product owner Tech stack how do deliver on the promises? 3
- 4. PROJECT KICKOFF MEETING Define roles and responsibilites When showcases will happen Whom to ask questions during development/delivery Who can make decisions Communication channels – project, admin A technical team representative, needs to attend to understand the business drivers 4
- 5. REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENTATION Use cases/User Stories – Writing Effective Use Cases by Alastair Cockburn Components Scope Actors/Personas Goals Main Story Alternate Paths Acceptance Criteria Technical Implementation approach 5
- 6. WHY USE CASES/USER STORIES Driven by an end-user goal, driving business value of the solution Contain business language – communication across multiple persons Alternate paths drive further analysis Acceptance criteria simplify quality assurance Sizing of user stories – T-shirt sizes are common aid estimation of effort, hence placing into sprints Starting point for end-user documentation 6
- 7. WHAT TOOLS CAN I USE? The best tool for the job is the one u know how to use However there are some good ones Asana Trello GitHub/GitLab Issues These allow you to comment and include other assets such as documents, images, links etc. Use the best tool to illustrate that documentation Move tasks/cards/issues across multiple stages/states 7
- 8. WHAT TOOLS CAN I USE? The best tool for the job is the one u know how to use However there are some good ones Asana Trello GitHub/GitLab Issues These allow you to comment and include other assets such as documents, images, links etc. Use the best tool to illustrate that documentation Move tasks/cards/issues across multiple stages/states 8
- 9. THE SHOWCASE Regular touch point with client Status check on delivery Progress update on the project Team catchup – end of sprint 9
- 10. TIPS AND TRICKS Use Prototyping tools to give your users a sense of what the final solution will feel like and work Spend time collaborating with your clients in a manner and language that they understand – remember they have other full-time jobs not just your project Discipline – keep time, promises, manage expectations, pay attention Document, document, document – in a way that makes meaning to your clients, stakeholders & end-users 10 On time is late!!!
- 11. TECH AIDS TO DELIVERY Automate & simplify deployment – to dev, staging and demo sites Fanatical, Meticulous version control – Trunk based development, GitFlow, short leaved feature branches Testing – unit, integration, stress, load, Travis CI Security – the price is too high at the end Document, document, document Use prebuilt frameworks, and libraries Contribute back to #OpenSource 11 Every problem is a special case of a more general problem and you are not the first one to solve it
- 12. CHALLENGES Draft fatigue – too many back and forth cycles As requirements change, then goals and deliverables are forgotten Team dynamics – changing requirements are stressful Technology tools & choices – do not try to re-invent the wheel as much as you can, solve the problem at hand + know how to use your tools 12 If I am given 4 hours to cut down a tree, I will spend 3 hours sharpening my axe ~ Abraham Lincoln
- 13. READING LIST – BUSINESS & TECH Martin Fowler – Refactoring, Patterns of Enterprise Architecture & http://martinfowler.com Andy Hunt/Dave Thomas – The Pragmatic Programmer Basecamp blog - https://m.signalvnoise.com/ Blue Ocean Strategy Clean Code Atomic Habits – James Clear Imposters Handbook by Rob Conery (I am reading it now) Blogs/Articles in whatever language or problem domain you are working in 13
- 14. IN CLOSING DONOTBETOOBUSY Enjoyyourproject Keeplearning Read StandontheshouldersofGiants Shareyourstories withothers Discipline,Discipline,Discipline Document, Document, Document ANDMOSTOFALL Deliverandsatisfyyourclients 1 4