TDWI Requirements for Data-Driven Enterprises: Discovery, Analysis, and Management Training

Getting requirements for data-driven efforts is especially challenging. Experience with traditional requirements gathering methods provides a foundation, but it takes more to be prepared for the unique challenges of data-driven projects—thinking creatively, getting beyond “just another report” solutions, engaging business stakeholders, resolving conflicts between business needs and data constraints, and much more. Old methods to elicit requirements don’t work well when requirements are vague, uncertain, and elusive, as is typical of data-driven initiatives. Shifting the approach from elicitation to discovery of requirements can make all the difference. Discovery, however, calls for new requirements processes, techniques, and participants. This course expands the requirements toolbox with techniques that step up to the challenges of data-driven requirements, describing proven ways to discover, analyze, and manage requirements for data-driven initiatives.

• Data warehousing, BI, and analytics program and project managers
• Business analysts, data analysts, and systems analysts
• Business and technical stakeholders in data-driven programs and projects
• All participants in requirements gathering processes

• How to handle the unique challenges and characteristics of data-driven requirements
• How to categorize requirements to manage completeness
• Techniques to discover elusive requirements
• How to engage people and collect data-driven requirements
• How to choose among data and information products including reports, dashboards, scorecards, analytics models, etc.
• The purpose, processes, and techniques of requirements analysis
• The purpose, processes, and benefits of requirements management

Module 1 - Requirements Challenges

• Traditional and Analytics Initiatives
  • Traditional Requirements
  • Analytics Requirements
  • Requirements Gathering vs. Discovery
• Language of BI Requirements
  • Terminology
  • Definitions
• Project Differences
  • Scope Distinctions
  • Creation and Usage
  • Development Lifecycle
  • Agile Development
• Requirements Categories
  • Business Requirements
  • Information Requirements
  • Technical Requirements
• Roles and Skills
  • Knowledge
  • Roles
  • Skills
• Proactive Requirements Discovery
  • Business Domains
  • Current Situation
  • Business Prioritization Matrix
  • Project Selection
  • Performance Management Support
  • Strategy Maps
• Summary and Discussion
  • Requirements Challenges

Module 2 - Requirements Classifications

• Requirements Categories
  • Business–Information–Technical
• The Scope of BI Requirements
  • Business in BI
• Business Requirements Classifications
  • Business Value
  • BI and Analytics Capabilities
  • BI and Analytics Capabilities—Descriptive
  • BI and Analytics Capabilities—Diagnostic
  • BI and Analytics Capabilities—Discovery
  • BI and Analytics Capabilities—Predictive
• Information Requirements Classifications
  • Content
  • Integration
  • Delivery
• Technical Requirements Classifications
  • Service Levels
  • Infrastructure
• Summary and Discussion
  • Requirements Classifications

Module 3 - Requirements Discovery Techniques

• Requirements as a Human Process
  • People and Requirements Discovery
  • Identifying Stakeholders
  • Busy People vs. Involved Participant
  • Some of the Challenges
• Techniques
  • An Overview
  • Interviewing
  • Group Facilitation
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Prototyping
  • Current State Analysis
  • Reverse Engineering
  • Interface Analysis: Use Case or Swim Lanes
• Summary and Discussion
  • Requirements Discovery Techniques

Module 4 - Requirements Elicitation and Products

• Requirements Discovery Challenges
  • Setting the Scope
  • Asking the Right Questions
• Key Questions
  • Surveying the Landscape
  • Making It Personal
  • The Current State: Data and Analysis
  • The Current State: Existing Reports
  • The Future State
• Business Requirements Products
  • Business Value Products
  • BI and Analytic Capability Products
• Information Requirements Products
  • Content Products
  • Integration Products
  • Delivery Products
  • Technical Requirements Products
  • Service Level Products
  • Infrastructure Products
• Summary and Discussion
  • Requirements Solicitation and Products

Module 5 - Requirements Analysis and Management

• Requirements as a Systems Process
  • Systems and Requirements Discovery
  • Process and Requirements Discovery
  • The “Why” of Requirements Management
  • The “What” of Requirements Management
• Collecting Requirements
  • Capturing Requirements
  • Defining and Refining Requirements
• Documenting Requirements
  • Writing Requirements Specifications
• Information Requirements Analysis
  • Fact/Qualifier Matrix
  • Hierarchies
  • Data Sourcing
  • Data Transformation and Cleansing
• Technical Requirements Analysis
  • Privacy and Security
• Testing Requirements
  • Walk Through
  • Acceptance Testing
  • Clarity, Correctness, and Measurability
  • Testing Completeness
• Managing Requirements
  • Managing Scope
  • Managing Impact
  • Managing Feasibility
  • Managing Change
  • Needs to Value
• Summary and Discussion
  • Requirements Analysis and Management

Module 6 - Summary and Conclusions

• Best Practices
  • Dos and Don’ts
  • Mistakes to Avoid When Discovering Business Requirements
  • Mistakes to Avoid When Discovering BI Requirements
• Summary of Key Points
  • A Quick Review