![\"Requirements](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Requirements-gathering-techniques-cover-2.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhat is requirements gathering in project management?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Requirements gathering is the process of identifying, documenting, and managing project objectives and <\/strong>stakeholder<\/strong><\/a> needs. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A business requirement is a description of the condition the final product or service needs to be in to satisfy a business need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, requirements outline exactly what the features of your product or service need to do and which functions they need to fulfill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can distinguish between 2 general types of requirements that every project has:<\/p>\n\n\n\n All in all, requirements outline what you need to accomplish to complete a project successfully. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn how to write a business requirements document (BRD) \u2014 an outline of your project’s business objectives \u2014 in the guide below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Collecting requirements is the first step in creating a project scope management plan<\/a> \u2014 which makes it one of the most important steps toward a successful project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, requirements are a tricky thing \u2014 they can stay hidden, get misunderstood, or just change over time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s assuming that stakeholders know exactly what they want, which isn\u2019t always the case. Eliciting requirements from stakeholders is often difficult precisely because they\u2019re vague and undefined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And we know this is an issue because 70% of failed projects go downhill due to poor requirements<\/a> and up to 50% of project rework is a result of requirements problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, since you can\u2019t build a strong foundation for your project without clear requirements, we\u2019ve compiled this list of the 15 best requirements gathering techniques:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try them out and see what works for your projects and your stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gather project requirements in Plaky<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n During an interview, your goal is to elicit information about project requirements by directly talking to stakeholders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask them questions about the project and take notes. Spontaneous questions are okay \u2014 some are bound to come up during the dialogue \u2014 but make sure to prepare the most important questions ahead of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being prepared for the interview increases your chances of gathering the necessary information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, stakeholders should have a general idea of what the conversation will look like in advance. Knowing what topics you plan to cover in the meeting will give them a chance to prepare and offer clearer answers during the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some more useful interview tips to keep in mind: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Focus groups are small group interviews that include a moderator and stakeholders, all engaged in an interactive discussion to elicit or refine the necessary project requirements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Compared to 1-on-1 interviews, focus groups are designed to be more conversational. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly to focus groups, facilitated workshops are focused sessions that bring key stakeholders together to define product requirements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, workshops are much more:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Workshop participants usually work together in teams \u2014 they engage in different activities to create solutions to a certain problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a go-to technique for working out stakeholder differences and defining cross-functional requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, because of their interactive nature, workshops:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are 2 specific examples of facilitated workshops in different industries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joint Application Development\/design sessions are a technique used specifically in the software development industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal of JAD workshops is to bring together subject matter experts and the development team to improve the software development process and clarify the requirements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve got the requirements down for your software development project, you should create a solid plan for how to execute the project. If you\u2019re not sure how to do this or you haven\u2019t done it before, this guide should help you out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a technique used in the manufacturing industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal of the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) workshop is to determine critical characteristics for new product development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Among other things, during a requirements workshop, participants develop so-called user stories \u2014 i.e., short textual descriptions of required functionalities, widely used in Agile<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Questionnaires or surveys are a great replacement for interviews when you\u2019re pressed on time or dealing with several stakeholders, especially when these stakeholders are working across different time zones<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019re ideal in situations where you have to process a large amount of data, as the info you collect through surveys and questionnaires is easy to analyze and interpret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just be mindful of how you frame questions, as different framings can result in different outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Brainstorming is a technique used to come up with multiple ideas related to project requirements. It\u2019s a group creativity technique that serves as a great starting point for your requirements gathering process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Using a simple tool, such as a whiteboard, you can quickly start brainstorming all the ideas that pop into your mind \u2014 and then write them down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At this point, the more ideas you generate \u2014 the better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the brainstorming session has ended, you will take time to analyze the ideas in more detail, focusing on the good ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Streamline your business \u2014 improve planning, align teams, finish tasks with Plaky by CAKE.com.<\/p>\n Mind mapping is a creative technique used to visually organize your ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mind maps (or idea maps, it\u2019s the same thing) work great with brainstorming. You can categorize all the previously brainstormed ideas (i.e., requirements) into different groups and see how these groups interact and relate to each other visually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having all the ideas transparently displayed in front of you will facilitate further idea generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The role-play technique is excellent for discovering the viewpoints of diverse users and generating new ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n During role-play, different people take on the roles of different user types. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This interactive approach helps you understand various user perspectives and their individual product requirements and needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Observation is the action of monitoring somebody or something in order to gather information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It may sound a bit sneaky, but it\u2019s not. And in cases where observation is required, no other technique will work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This happens when users can\u2019t articulate requirements because they\u2019re not even aware of them. In that case, you can use observation to uncover these hidden requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeing users in their natural environment and observing how they use a product, or what difficulties they might face allows you to identify precisely what the users need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Document analysis is the process of defining requirements by analyzing existing documentation and identifying relevant information. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a boring and strenuous job, but it is another avenue for requirements gathering. Here\u2019s a list of documents that you can analyze: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reverse engineering is the process of deconstructing an existing system to learn how it is built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s like taking a toy apart to learn how it works. By understanding how something works, you can develop a comprehensive list of functional requirements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After you have gained knowledge about the subject in question, you can then duplicate it or enhance it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can apply reverse engineering to many things, including software and physical machines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prototyping is a technique for obtaining early feedback on requirements by building a working model of the expected product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Basically, it\u2019s a mock-up of the final product that you can experiment with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though they can be pretty costly, prototypes are useful for 3 reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Various modern prototyping tools facilitate making mock-ups \u2014 they are particularly useful for agile and other software development projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In simple terms, benchmarking is the performance comparison of your company\u2019s product with the competitor\u2019s product that\u2019s considered to be the best in the industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Benchmarking is a great requirements gathering technique, as it allows you to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A context diagram is a visual requirements gathering technique. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As the name suggests, these diagrams are used for presenting the entire context of the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They depict a business system (e.g., a process, equipment, a computer system, etc.), and how people and other systems interact with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Use cases are an excellent technique for collecting specific requirements in various situations. By exploring different scenarios, you can learn which feature or functionality should be used in which specific case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Use cases are expressed in step-by-step lists of tasks that should be performed to accomplish business objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, scenarios \u2014 also known as user stories \u2014 are short textual descriptions of required functionalities, in the form of a narrative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n User stories describe:<\/p>\n\n\n\n User stories are typically formatted in the following way: As a [persona], I [want to], [so that].<\/p>\n\n\n Interface analysis is a technique that helps you understand how your system works. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In this case, interface<\/em> doesn\u2019t only refer to UI<\/em>. Instead, it refers to all interactions between your system and anything else that interacts with it. Yes, this includes people, but it also includes peripherals (mouse, keyboard, touch screen, etc.), hardware, APIs, external systems, and so on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By conducting interface analysis, you can discover unexpected requirements that no single stakeholder would otherwise be aware of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n Streamline your business \u2014 improve planning, align teams, finish tasks with Plaky by CAKE.com.<\/p>\n While the focus of this guide is on requirements gathering techniques, I\u2019d still like to quickly walk you through the 6-step requirements gathering process, which includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n All the techniques I\u2019ve listed can help you elicit requirements from stakeholders, but step 1 is to first figure out who these stakeholders are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some stakeholders are obvious \u2014 the client, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the term stakeholder <\/em>actually refers to anyone invested in the project. In addition to clients, this includes team members, higher-ups in your organization, external vendors, customers, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have the list of stakeholders down, you can decide which people should help you identify requirements and how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, clients need to explain what exactly it is they want. However, developers can provide insight into how feasible this is and which steps you\u2019d need to take to complete the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 2 entails meeting and interviewing key stakeholders. By key stakeholders, I mean the people that you\u2019re running this project for \u2014 typically clients and higher management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal of these interviews is to get more insight into what they want out of the project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For now, ask them big-picture questions, like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 3 is pretty much what this entire blog post was about \u2014 utilizing various techniques to elicit requirements from stakeholders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Use the techniques best suited to your project to find out exactly what it is you need to make and how you need to make it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is also where you can work with stakeholders and subject matter experts to prioritize certain requirements over others to make project execution more feasible.<\/p>\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve gathered all the requirements, you should use them to make a plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a lot that goes into creating a detailed requirement management plan, but the big picture elements include figuring out the:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This part is super-important, so make sure you\u2019re using the right planning tools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A great option is to use a project management tool where you can easily keep track of all changes in real time and ensure no detail gets missed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Such a tool should also enable you to transparently share your requirements management plan with all involved parties and guarantee everyone\u2019s on the same page.<\/p>\n\n\n When you\u2019re satisfied with the plan, present it to your stakeholders to get their approval. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, you have to get the client to sign off on it before you can start working on the project, but getting other stakeholders\u2019 approval is also invaluable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, developers can notify you of any unrealistic time estimates in your project schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last but not least, monitor the progress of your project. Check whether the execution is within the boundaries of the project scope. Monitor risks. Track the budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basically, just do everything you normally do while managing projects, knowing that the entire process rests on a firm foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n As already stated, 70% of project failures happen because of poor requirements, so conducting thorough requirements gathering should be a mandatory step in managing all projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best way to do this is by using software that can support your requirements gathering efforts from the word go<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A perfect example of such software is Plaky<\/a> by CAKE.com<\/a>, as it allows you to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n All you have to do is pick the right technique for each requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019re done, that board can act as a requirement repository that all team members can access for reference. And thanks to powerful filtering and sorting features, finding specific requirements should be a breeze, even if the list is comprehensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using Plaky this way will increase transparency within your project team<\/strong> and keep all stakeholders on the same page<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even better, Plaky is a bonafide project management tool that your entire team can keep using throughout the entire project<\/strong> to manage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This allows it to act as a centralized information hub for all project-related communication and activity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Top 15 requirements gathering techniques <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Technique #1: Interviews <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Technique #2: Focus groups<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Technique #3: Facilitated workshops<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Joint Application Development (JAD)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Quality Function Deployment (QFD) <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Technique #4: Questionnaires or surveys <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Technique #5: Brainstorming<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Plaky](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/templates@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\nTechnique #6: Mind mapping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Technique #7: Role-play<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Technique #8: Observations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Technique #9: Document analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Technique #10: Reverse engineering<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Technique #11: Prototyping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Technique #12: Benchmarking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Technique #13: Context diagrams<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Technique #14: Use cases and scenarios<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Example](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Example-of-a-user-story-item-for-requirements-gathering-in-Plaky.png\")
Technique #15: Interface analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Plaky](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/features@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\nThe requirements gathering process in 6 steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Step 1: Identify the stakeholders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Meet with the key stakeholders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Step 3: Identify and document the requirements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Gathering](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Gathering-and-documenting-requirements-in-Plaky.png\")
Step 4: Create a requirements management plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Gantt-view-of-a-project-schedule-in-Plaky.png\")
Step 5: Get the plan approved<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 6: Monitor the requirements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Custom-table-view-board-in-Plaky.png\")
Manage requirements and tasks in Plaky by CAKE.com<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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