Removing Ambiguity and Subjectivity from Requirements

This online, self-paced course teaches business analysts and subject matter experts (SME) how to improve the understandability of business requirements, stakeholder requirements, solution requirements, and transition requirements by removing ambiguity and subjectivity. Only if other people are able to comprehend, approve, and implement what the requirement expresses — and what it does not — are you likely to get the technology solution that meets the business need.

1. How to Reduce Ambiguity in a Business Requirement

Rules for Removing Ambiguity

The Price of Ambiguity

Ambiguity Kills Projects

The Business of Requirements

Who Needs Clarity, Anyway?

Clarifying Requirements

Rules for a "Good" Requirement Sentence

The Challenge to Understanding

Understanding Requirements You Wrote

Exercise: Finding Ambiguity

Using a "Search Party" to Test for Understandability

Rewriting Requirements to Find Ambiguity

Changing Environments

Exercise: Evaluating Rewrites

Exercise: Rewriting Requirements for Clarity

Reducing the Ambiguity in Your Requirements

Misinterpretation Ruins Requirements

Exercise: Rewording Requirements

Increasing Clarity of your Requirements

Exercise: Acronyms and Glossary

Ambiguity Ruins Requirements

The Importance of Asking Questions

Exercise: Asking Questions for Clarity

Testing Readability

Exercise: Readability Indexes

Summary: Rules for an Understandable Requirement Statement

Exercise: Final Exam

Review: Rules for Effective Business Requirements

Where Can You Go From Here?

• Recognize ambiguous terms and phrases
• Revise the requirement by replacing vague or non-standard terms and phrases
• Use a glossary to define terms and expand acronyms
• Clarify assumptions by adding context

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