Certified BA

Analysis, Design, and Project Management

Critical Factors for Success

Lingua Franca

The basic methodology consists of the following five steps:

  • The superfluity of jargon used in information technology (IT) is the antithesis of organizational communication.
  • The jargon used by the mass of different disciplines in IT often confounds the business purpose; moreover, they often confound each other.
  • Different technologies use different jargon and standards; the lingua franca of information technology is specific to each organization and typically poorly defined.
  • Literal English is the true lingua franca of North American business.
  • Lingua Franca:
    1. Language used for convenience. A language or mixture of languages used for communication by people who speak different first languages.
    2. Traders’ language in Mediterranean: the mixed language used chiefly by merchants throughout the Mediterranean ports until the 18th century, consisting mainly of Italian with elements of French, Spanish, Greek, Arabic, and Turkish

      3. --Encarta Dictionary: English (North America)

Jargon

  • Technical jargon has no place at the functional requirements gathering table.
  • While the technical team will need to define and detail technical requirements, nothing will derail the purpose of obtaining clear business requirements faster than someone talking techno-speak to a customer.
  • The use of technical terms and acronyms simply shuts down the lines of communication and intimidates the customer.
  • Base arguments and requirements on literal definitions, not on definitions assumed by the different factions.

Functional Requirements

  • Functional requirement meetings should focus solely on the business processes the system is meant to replace or enhance.
  • The technology platform that will be used to accomplish this task is irrelevant.
  • Save the technology discussion for the roundtable of technical folks who will spearhead the design phase of the project.

Document and Reconfirm

  • Companies tend to vary in terms of their actual documentation requirements.
  • However, regardless of what is required, clear, concise, and thorough functional requirements documentation is a key to success, not just a luxury.
  • This documentation should be the bible from which all team members operate and be the standard to which all testing is performed.
  • As a side benefit, this documentation will ease all future transitions in personnel as well as facilitate system maintenance.