Software Requirements Essentials: Core Practices for Successful Business Analysis

So, like all the other nerdy BAs around the world, I've couldn't wait to read Karl Wieger and Candase Hokanson's recent book: Software Requirements Essentials. So I'm happy to report that it is as EXCELLENT, as hoped! 🖤 It summarises what I do as a BA working with technology teams building stuff, far better than I've ever done. There's LOTS of things I want to highlight from the book (I've got over 10 tabs marking parts I want to be able to reference easily) but I think the themes made me more happy than "themes" have any right to do. Here are Karl and Candase's underpinning themes for requirements: 💜 Requirements development demands an incremental and iterative approach. 💙 The goal of all specification activities is clear and effective communication. 🩵 Requirements engineering is a collaborative activity. 💚 Quality activities should be pushed to the front. 💛 Risk thinking is essential. 🧡 Change happens. 👆 SUCH a north star of values to aspire to doing great business analysis while building great software! I was very relieved to discover that while they use "feature trees" where I would use a story map, all the practices represented things that I try to do! (In saying that, I've already turned the 20 practices into a checklist to keep me thorough). So, if you want to work in IT development, I could not recommend the book more. And at 156 pages (ignoring appendixes and the index) it is a remarkably easy read for such solid advice. I'm going to keep this book on the shelf by my desk. Which is the highest praise I can offer a book. 📚🖤

Clear, high-level overview of all the things related to requirements in projects. A must read for anyone doing requirements elkcitation and management, even outside software development

Quick reference book for BAs working on software delivery project. This book summarises the best practices a BA should follow. I would also recommend reading the other book from the same author on Software requirements.

I was looking for a brief book on SW Requirements and I felt lucky when found this. However, the printing quality is the worst I've ever seen. The paper is felt like the lowest quality with dark grey little dots which blurrier the light ink printing small text. The content are good and worthwhile but the paper and text are too hard to read. I hope the publisher check this book seriously (requirements for a good book) and will re-issue the book with better paper and printing quality.