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Struggling with Acceptance Criteria?
If you're struggling with acceptance criteria, then you're probably struggling with user stories too. High-quality acceptance criteria make it so much easier to create and analyze user stories, which leads to better requirements and solutions that delight end users....
Help! I Don’t Have Time To Do Requirements Right!
It seems each year it gets worse and worse—BAs have WAY too much to do! They can’t say no and can’t ask leaders to slow down the flow of requirements work. The backlog grows bigger and bigger, and teams get further behind every day. It’s impossible to catch up. I am...
Building a Speedy and Responsive Delivery Approach
We need to speed up the delivery process in a way that is responsive to rapidly evolving technology and ever-changing user needs and expectations. All too often, our teams end up rapidly delivering, but not getting the expected outcomes from a user and customer point...
4 Tips for AI and Digital Transformation Analysis
I am excited to hear that many of my clients are venturing into projects that include digital transformation, intelligent automation, machine learning and other artificial intelligence capabilities. I am passionate about these topics and how these capabilities deliver...
Three Tips for Springing Forward
When daylight saving time hits the United States, I feel jolted and off-kilter. It takes me weeks to adjust to the time change, especially when I'm traveling across multiple time zones. Springing forward with the clock always seems to come at a time when I have so...
7 Hot Topics from Agile2017 in Orlando
I had the opportunity to speak at Agile2017 in Orlando. It was a great conference! I connected with so many colleagues & friends and met lots of new friends as well.Besides speaking and networking, I attended some great sessions. The sessions at this conference...
The Shift To Modern Requirements
I’ve been on the road quite a bit lately, and part of my travels include delivering conference presentations about modernizing requirements. The presentations hit home with those who are feeling the stress of increasing speed, complexity, ambiguity and change. Trends...
Planning for Requirements in Agile – How is it Different from Waterfall?
Many teams struggle with their requirements approach, but it’s especially challenging for teams transitioning from waterfall to agile. If the team neglected requirements planning in waterfall, they assume agile requires even less planning. This leads to even worse...
Is Your Roadmap a Joke?
Roadmaps are one of the best and most important tools for project/product teams. When done well, roadmaps provide tremendous value. When done poorly, I hear things like this from BAs and product owners: “Roadmaps are a joke around here.” “We don’t follow it anyway,...
Customer Obsession – You Better Have It!
Everything you do impacts the end customer. Yes! Even if your project doesn’t seem to touch the end customer, there’s always a connection. Great BAs understand this and help their stakeholders discover the customer connections for every product, project, enhancement,...
4 Hot Topics from the Orlando BBC Conference
I recently enjoyed several days presenting and participating in the Building Business Capability Conference in Orlando. I am always excited about the themes that come together during these national industry conferences. If you missed it, here’s what you need to know:...
Agile Requirements Documentation – What’s Really Needed?
During agile training sessions, the most common question I get is, “Can you PLEASE just tell me what I need to document as an Agile BA?” So, let’s clear up this up once and for all! The answer is NOT simply user stories and acceptance criteria, or a traditional...