The keys to delivering better software lie in understanding what customers want―even when they are unable to articulate what they want―and being able to create a system that will improve the end users’ work. This is why your starting point should be understanding the differing, and sometime conflicting, needs of the customer and the end-users. Analyzing user needs, developing clearly defined requirements, and managing stakeholder expectations are three areas of business analysis that lead to greatly improved customer and end user satisfaction. Barry Harvey details his experience analyzing the system needs of a culturally and geographically diverse statewide academic support organization; explains how to translate those needs into detailed requirements; and most importantly, shares proven strategies for managing stakeholder expectations throughout the development and implementation process. Transparency and traceability allow both customers and users to understand how specific features and functionality came to be included in the final system, and how their particular needs are being addressed.
Barry Harvey
Florida Virtual Campus
With more than twenty years of quality and project management experience, Barry Harvey currently leads the quality assurance team at the Florida Virtual Campus (Complete Florida Plus). His team focuses on ensuring that the academic support products and services supplied to Florida’s public higher education institutions are both useful and usable. Barry’s professional experience—and certifications in quality and project management—position him to provide service to organizations seeking to implement mission critical systems, mitigate risk associated with organizational change, and guide the improvement of core business processes. Reach Barry at [email protected] to explore any issues in these areas.
Speaker Presentations
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - 11:30am
Business Analysis & Requirements
Business Analysis: From Interviews through Implementation