Requirements - The Moving Target

• "There is a new version of the Requirements Document, can you check your Specification Document still meets the Requirements?"
• "The business are reassessing the requirements"
• "Some new information has come in from the business"
• "I know your SRS is due for sign off, but we still need to sign off the BRD"

Does any of this sound familiar?

Why is it that the requirements constantly change and even new business requirements come to light after the project has been completed?

OK, fair enough new legislation can come into play, but more likely than not, it is missed requirements or additional information or ideas that come to light when the product starts to take shape.

Do you deliver what the client signed off on and have a product they don't like or do you amend the requirements, implement change requests, extend deadlines and/or bite the bullet and build in the new requirements in the existing timescales?

According to Watermark Learning they say that "It seems the only constant when it comes to business requirements analysis is that things keep changing."

I totally agree, so you need to accept and deal with this as part and parcel of your role.



However, Watermark Learning think that, "Maybe it’s time to increase the requirements analysis skills in your organization with business analysis training."

Are they just trying to sell their training packages or does increased training enable the BA to extract more fuller requirements and eleviate the changing requirements?  The jury is out on this one from my point of view.



Even with increased knowledge and training, (and experience), I would still think that "the only constant when it comes to business requirements analysis is that things keep changing."  You just have to have fast reflexes and a good aim to hit those moving targets!