requirements
#5: You put lipstick on a pig
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 | EIM, Project Direction, Top 'n' Lists, Top 5 Mistakes Collecting SPM / EIM Project Requirements, large projects, requirements | 2 Comments
#5 of 5: Top 5 Mistakes Collecting SPM / EIM Project Requirements
You shied away from real improvement opportunities by falling back into the old way of doing things. It’s nice to upgrade parts of your system so they perform better, but if you don’t redesign around the new capabilities you may not see any real benefits. Your new system will still be a pig, even if it’s got a shiny new coat of lipstick.
The Problem
You’re fighting human nature again. The selection of a fancy new enterprise software package is a big deal. A lot of promises are made and due diligence is done around making sure the investment is worthy. Rarely is there the directive to “keep our processes exactly as they are.” In fact, many times the introduction of a new system is identified as the perfect catalyst for implementing the many changes management desires.
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- #1: You took the buffalo for a walk - JasonKearns
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#4: You didn’t finish (and you didn’t tell anyone)
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 | EIM, SPM, Top 'n' Lists, Top 5 Mistakes Collecting SPM / EIM Project Requirements, large projects, requirements | No Comments
#4 of 5: Top 5 Mistakes Collecting SPM / EIM Project Requirements
This is probably the most common mistake. You have an allotted amount of time for requirements, you get to the end of that time and you stop… or you at least say you’ve stopped in your status report. Meanwhile, you are vigorously working behind the scenes to “patch up a small leak here and there” as the the captain of the Titanic might have said.
The Problem
Denial and delusion are two of the benefits of the human condition we like to call coping mechanisms. It’s also a proven phenomenon that the smarter and more successful we are, the less likely we are to admit mistakes or failures. Sometimes we can do this by blaming others. Most times it more convenient to put on fake smile and say everything is fine. For those that yearn to avoid conflict (probably 90% of us), this is the preferred approach.
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Similar Posts:
- #1: You took the buffalo for a walk - JasonKearns
- #5: You put lipstick on a pig - JasonKearns
#3: You asked the tourist for directions
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 | EIM, Project Direction, SPM, Top 'n' Lists, Top 5 Mistakes Collecting SPM / EIM Project Requirements, large projects, requirements | No Comments
#3 of 5: Top 5 Mistakes Collecting SPM / EIM Project Requirements
It’s important to identify the true subject matter experts and speak to them. There are a lot of tourists roaming the streets eager to share what they know. Tourists have read all the guides and made a couple of day trips. They know more than you and they can sound very confident, but beware, they don’t live here. They don’t know that 5th Street is a one-way going south of Elm or that the Bob’s Big Boy landmark they’re using burned down two months ago. You need a native to give you details; only a native knows everything. At companies, there are many tourists roaming the halls with abundant enthusiasm and misinformation.
The Problem
Once again we like to pull information from those willing to give it. A fundamental problem with this approach is that it’s often the busiest and least available individuals to whom we really need to speak. I learned my lesson the hard way. This is a true story.
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- #2: You painted the wall from bottom to top - JasonKearns
- #1: You took the buffalo for a walk - JasonKearns
#2: You painted the wall from bottom to top
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 | EIM, Project Direction, Top 'n' Lists, Top 5 Mistakes Collecting SPM / EIM Project Requirements, large projects, requirements | No Comments
#2 of 5: Top 5 Mistakes Collecting SPM / EIM Project Requirements
It is possible to collect requirements out of order, and it often happens. Just like painting a wall, there is some strategy involved. When you paint, you typically want to start at the top and work your way down. The reason is simple, drips. Even the most experienced painters aren’t going to be able to prevent all drips, streams and splatters. As you coat the wall you inevitably get streams of paint running down via gravity. If you are painting from top to bottom, it’s no big deal. You just paint over and smooth out the drips as you work your way down. But if you are painting from bottom to top, you have a problem. In order to smooth out the drips you have to go back and re-brush some areas that have already been covered. This amounts to a lot of wasted time and effort.
The Problem
When things get done out of order, it’s usually for good reason. Human nature is to do what you can, as soon as you can, with the least amount of effort. When you painted your first wall you probably started at eye level. You don’t have to bend over and you don’t have to climb a ladder. When collecting requirements, it’s typical to start with the easiest and most readily available information. This wouldn’t be so bad if everything was fully documented and available from Day One. However, in most case this just means you schedule whoever is available and forthcoming. Beggars can’t be choosers when it comes to getting client subject matter expert (SME) time.
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- #5: You put lipstick on a pig - JasonKearns
- #3: You asked the tourist for directions - JasonKearns