Needs Analysis
The ScotCro Needs Analysis process clearly defines what to deliver and what additional resources must be added to achieve project success. The purpose of the Needs Analysis is to refine the business case concepts into manageable functional areas from the end users’ perspective. Additionally, it outlines not only what to deliver but how to deliver it successfully.
The process starts by reviewing project goals and documenting functional requirements. This requirements gathering activity elicits input from direct and indirect users, from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and technical experts. Throughout the process we are careful to focus on the customer’s point of view – the benefactor of the service or product. Functionality and features must add value to the service or product. We test the value of the requirement against the customer’s perspective by simply asking, “Are they willing to pay for it?”
The Needs Analysis activity starts the risk mitigation process by managing conflicts prior to the design stage. Risks avoided in this stage include functional needs that negatively impact another feature or area of the business. For example, implementing a new business process management system may be great for one division but not when it negatively effects another division by taking critical funds and is a net loss for the organization as a whole. Another type of risk identified in this stage is the lack of internal expertise to complete without outsourcing some component.
Questions answered in the Needs Analysis activity:
- What precisely is the functionality needed?
- Who is affected by this project?
- What functionality conflicts are there and how do we mitigate them?
- Who are our in house experts?
- Do our internal resources possess the necessary skills?
- What is the readiness of existing processes to support the need?
- What is the ability of current systems to support ongoing operations?
- Are all aspects of people, processes and tools considered?
- How should we conduct training, when and to whom?