I am currently knee deep in a project to configure data mappings for healthcare ETL processes. Although there are standard formats for every exchange of healthcare information, the new core system needs some TLC to make all of the data flow correctly into and out of the system. The best tip for managing successful data [...]

There is a question that I get asked quite frequently: “Which is better, Agile or Waterfall?” Although a question without many words, it’s a loaded question. “Well, that depends…” is how I start off. For today, let’s focus on the differences in requirements for Agile and Waterfall. According to Wikipedia, Agile is “a group of [...]

When is a software development project successful? Is it when funding is approved for the project? No, because that’s a first step, but nothing has actually happened yet in executing the project. Is it when the requirements are successfully defined? No, because nothing’s been built yet. Is it when the development is done? No, because [...]

Many, if not most, software shops prefer to use Agile instead of Waterfall. That makes sense, right? Short cycles where you see progress quickly that allows you to make changes without the sky falling; I like that too! Agile also affords a close environment where the team is co-located, so that communication can move freely, [...]

One of the administrative tasks that so many people seem to hate to do is writing a status report.  A status report is a short, informative report that states the status of a project.  I’ve spoken to numerous people about writing status reports, and almost universally the reaction is “ ‘heavy sigh’ Do I really [...]

I was recently reading Scott Sehlhorst blog post on prototypes, which is a nice discussion on the value of prototypes, but also includes some of the challenges of using them.  Scott discusses how a prototype can be an invaluable tool for a product manager for elicitation and feedback in an agile environment.  He also discusses [...]

A Promise to have a Conversation I’ve been writing user stories for a couple of years now, and the best way I’ve heard how to describe them is that they are a promise to have a conversation.  Enough information should be written down to give the reader an idea of what the gist of the [...]

Betsy Stockdale will be presenting, ‘Requirements at the Speed of Thought’. Requirements in an agile world. Summary: In an agile world do we still need requirements? How do requirements change in a world of agile development methods? What skills and tools do business analysts need to thrive in this space? Dallas IIBA Chapter Meeting Thursday September [...]

Number 5 in the series, “How to Shoot Yourself in the Foot: 7 ways to do software requirements poorly to set your project up for failure and what to do instead.” Short-change Time Spent on Software Requirements or Don’t do Them at All Don’t Listen to Your Customer’s Needs Don’t use Models Use Weasel Words [...]

I’ve been working on a large project for the past several months; our customer has purchased an application that they are customizing for their environment.  The vendor has chosen to work in a waterfall manner…gather all of the requirements first, review then freeze the requirements once approved, and then they will move on to design/development, [...]