First Things First
Strong requirements management makes good sense—and business sense:
Find out more about requirements management in PMI’s Pulse of the Profession® In-Depth Report:
Requirements Management — A Core Competency for Project and Program Success at PMI.org/Pulse.
n When inadequate or poor communi-
cation is a primary cause of project fail-
ure, three out of four organizations
report that the issue negatively affects
requirements management more than
any other area of their projects.
n For every dollar spent on proj-
ects and programs,
5. 1 percent is
wasted due to poor requirements
management. This amounts to
US$51 million wasted for every
US$1 billion spent.
n Only 24 percent of
organizations report doing
well in recognizing and
developing skills needed
for effective management
of requirements.
5.1 24%
phase and in the form of detailed checklists and formal
reviews during the execution phase. The requirements
issues can be addressed through weekly issue logs and
regular team meetings.
It is my experience that when you capture the stake-
holders’ requirements, analyze them and communicate
openly how they will be addressed, it generates tremen-
dous confidence and trust in the stakeholders and clients.”
—Nitin Dave, PMP, project manager, WorleyParsons,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
CROWDSOURCE EXPECTATIONS
The key to successful requirements
management is identifying what the new
system or product will do for all appropri-
ate stakeholders.
You must understand each group’s perspective and
gather the different requirements to build a complete
picture of what the project should achieve. Ask each
stakeholder or group of stakeholders for their requirements from the new product or service. What do they
want and expect from this project?
If possible, push beyond questions: Build a mock-up
or model of the system or product to give users an
idea of what the final product will look like. With this,
users can address feasibility issues and help identify any
inconsistencies and problems.
Sometimes, use cases—a scenario-based technique—
—Harpreet Kalra, PMP, delivery manager-project
management, SunLife Financial, Gurgaon, India
SET LIMITS WHEN NEEDED
When dealing with complex projects
involving requests from many disparate
stakeholders, start by grouping requests
into categories or themes, and decide what share of
resources to allocate to each. Often, stakeholders want
more implemented right away than they really need,
and this method ensures that there is proper allocation
of resources across the board.
By setting a limit, it is possible to apply healthy
pressure on the business side and define minimum
viable features targeted for an initial release. After this,
it is possible to gradually add more functionality if end
customers respond positively.
Another important thing is to never accept solutions,
only requirements. Some business stakeholders mix these
up. The solution should be separated and brought to light
by a creative process within the development organization.”
—Mattias Hallberg, PMP, head of project management,
Rakuten Inc., Tokyo, Japan
A 3-Step
Solution
Stress is a natural defense
mechanism to keep us
alert to possible danger.
It’s also subjective: During
the same project, one
team member may feel
much more stress than
another. Alan Patching and
Rick Best’s 2014 study,
“An investigation into
psychological stress detection and management in
organizations operating in
project and construction
management,” published
in the journal Procedia—
Social and Behavioral Sciences, suggests three steps
for managing individuals’
stress levels:
1. Note job-related
stressors and apply risk
management strategies
2. Monitor when a team
member seems stressed
and teach him or her
coping techniques
3. Monitor the results