The same applies for requirements.
Believe it or not, gathering accurate requirements is only a small part of the requirements process, and arguably not even the most important part. Rather, I believe how we manage those requirements is the core competency of a truly revolutionary product development experience. The catalyst for revolutionary requirements management is very easy to describe but hard to do: Traceability.
Traceability is important because it enables:
- Project Success Metrics
- Automation of Project Change
- Change Impact Measurement
- Testability
All of which are keystones to presenting information required to make smart decisions, tools to automate requirement changes, and maintaining focus on the business objectives (aka “Now why are we doing this, again?”).
This is why requirement management tools can be so powerful, by enforcing traceability from the start, and providing an easier, automated method to add in the missing parts. Think about how you will modify and manage your requirements the next time you decide on getting a “head start” in lieu of establishing clear, measurable business objectives.
