A Case Study in Virtual Requirements Facilitation

Requirements FIRST

www.doreenevans.com

A Case Study in Virtual Requirements Facilitation

Faith HickeySenior Business AnalystDoreen Evans Associates

October 31st, 2012

What are we going to talk about?

• Introductions

• Client & Project Overview

• Case Study Review & Facilitation Techniques– What worked (and what didn’t)

– Practices that were effective in a virtual setting

– Techniques to engage the stakeholders

© Doreen Evans Associates, Inc.

About Doreen Evans Associates, Inc.

• Founded in 1992 with a single focus to provide a solution to the requirements problem

• DEA’s only business for 20 years is as a provider of Business Analysis Solutions

– Providing experienced business analysts to work on client projects

– Helping our clients establish a business analysis best practice discipline

• Endorsed Education Providers (EEP) of the IIBA

• Member of Business Analysis Leadership Consortium (BALC)

3© Doreen Evans Associates, Inc.

Contact DEA

Website:www.doreenevans.com

LinkedIn Group:RequirementsFIRST

Twitter:@Requirements1st

Email:[email protected]

Slide ShareRequirementsFIRST

Tell me about your client…

• A large financial institution

– Over 4 million customers

– Over $49 billion in assets

– Over 300 branch locations around the world

• Headquartered in Virginia

• Large concentrations of branches in/around Washington D.C., Florida and California


What was the project?

• Branch Experience Redesign Program

– Paradigm shift in the banking industry

– Major business transformation required to maintain customer contact

– First order of business – Teller System replacement

• Doreen Evans Associates

– Independent perspective

– Mentor Client Business Analysts

– Holistic view of the project within the context of the business problem


Why did you go ‘Virtual?’


• Geographically dispersed user group

• Ask the experts

• Initiate change management at the earliest stages of the project

Why Virtual Teams Fail

Lack of Clear Goals, Direction and Priorities

Lack of Clear Roles Among Team Members

Lack of Cooperation

Lack of Engagement

7© Doreen Evans Associates, Inc.

From: Virtual Team SuccessDesrosa, Lepsinger

Planning, Planning and more Planning

• Defined our goals & priorities– Goal: Gather broad-based feedback; not just on the

system replacement, but for the overall program

– Priority: Requirements for a Teller System RFP

• Completed our ‘due diligence’– Context diagrams, process flows, stakeholder analysis

– Prepared agendas by specific topic

• Engaged the participants before the sessions began– Identified the key participants for each session

– Assigned ‘homework’ to compile ‘Personas’• Survey Monkey

– Identified the roles for our team members


What’s a ‘Persona?’


’Life is

expensive. We

stretch every

dollar to its limit.

I worry we won’t

be able to help

my girls pay for

college.’

Goals:

• Have a savings account

• Help children pay for college in

15 years and retire

Major Complaint:

• Waiting for a member service

representative, especially

when trying to make sure and

meet the 2 PM daily deadline

to post a deposit

Branch Service Praise:

• She appreciates the number of

branch locations and when the

branch appears fully staffed

This is April. She calls herself a typical

‘working military mom’. She has an active

duty spouse and two young daughters.

Fortunately, he is currently home to help raise

the children

Both spouses work to pay for rent, food, and

daycare. April worries and knows they are

not prepared to incur for any unexpected

expenses. She tackles life as a busy working

mom one day at a time. Her primary focus is

trying to make sure she keeps her children

happy and healthy. Her income is critical for

the family to stay out of debt.

April works as a waitress and the bulk of her

income is made in tips. Given her hectic

schedule, she is not always able to get to the

branch before 2 PM

Making the most of her time outside of work is

important. She often hunts coupons late at

night and makes sure wherever she shops,

she doesn’t pay full price. The family has one

car and is looking for a way to trade it in for a

newer more reliable car with a small car loan.

When it comes to handling her financial

needs, she counts on our MSRs to suggest

loan and saving ideas. She simply doesn’t

have time to research them. She often says

‘any extra hour she has, she spends with her

family. They are her top priority and there are

never enough hours in the day.’

April finds the use of her POA cumbersome.

She often forgets to bring it into the branch

when she needs to do a transaction on any of

her husband's individual accounts.

April will readily admit that she is unsure

about credit, financing, and actual loan costs.

They focus on ‘staying above water’ with the

bills between paychecks.

Although April and her husband are cautious

of their spending, they don’t make enough

income to save for a home of their own,

college for the girls and retirement.

Hopefully, there will be no unplanned ‘life

events’ in the next 10 years. April doesn’t

know how they would be able to handle an

additional expenses.

April

A Day in the Life of a Typical Customer

How we used Personas


’I prefer to do all

my banking at

one institution –

face to face

whenever

possible.

The MSRs

always laugh at

my jokes!‘

Rick

‘I finally have my

first real job.

I thoroughly enjoy

being a young

urban

professional and

using my credit

card.’

Ginger

‘Life is an

adventure. I

enjoy living it to

the fullest.

I plan to have a

new sports car

soon.’

Jeremy

‘My grand-

daughter is far

more savvy with

technology than I

will ever be.

She will likely

have a cell phone

before I do!’

Roger

Roger would really like that feature because…..

That wouldn’t work for Ginger because….

Roles


Virtual Meeting Roles:

• Host: Has primary responsibility for the meeting to ensure it meets the defined objectives; acts as emcee for the meeting

• Keynote Speaker: Provides overview of the BER program and its vision

• Main Facilitator: Engages the group as a whole and presents content for group interaction discussion

• Remote Facilitator (2): Runs the meeting at the remote location and serves as the communication link between the remote location and HQ

• Main Session Analyst: Works closely with the Main Facilitator to record all feedback and action items

• Session Analyst(s): Records additional notes from the sessions

• Technographer: Responsible for technology resources at HQ and remote locations

Location 1 Location 2

Headquarters

How did it all work?

• 3 Weeks of sessions– Cash Handling– Platform Functions– Branch Management

• 6-10 SMEs at each site

• 3-Day sessions; 5 hourseach day

• Technology– Video Teleconference– Webex


• Local Ice Breaker: 2 Truths and a Lie

• Keynote Speaker

• Ground Rules

• Describe the Approach for our Discussions– Introduce Personas & How to Use Them

• Introduce the Topic

• Remote Facilitation– Affinity Analysis

• Reconvene & Discuss Feedback

Session Framework


Repeating Process

Essentials for Success

• Make sure everyone’s opinion is heard

– SMEs presented findings to the group, not facilitators

– Identified common themes using affinity analysis

– Utilized Personas to provide a business context for suggestions


Essentials for Success

• Prioritization was Key!

– ‘Buy a Feature’ was a fun exercise that reinforced project limitations

• Level-set expectations: Early stages of a very long project

– Implement a Communication Plan NOW


I’ll take End of Day Reports for $25!

Challenges

• Time Zones

• 3 Weeks is a Long Time

• Technical Risk with VTC

• Side Conversations

• Stronger Personalities Still Dominate

• Volume of Data


The Payoff

• Generated Enthusiasm– The SMEs will be our change agents in the field!

– SMEs felt included and that their opinions mattered

• Created Momentum– What’s next??

• Data, Data, Data– Comprehensive RFP

– Identified Quick Wins• Training issues

• Communication issues

• Policy Questions


Requirements FIRST

www.doreenevans.com

Thank You!


A Case Study in Virtual Requirements Facilitation

Business

Transcript of A Case Study in Virtual Requirements Facilitation