How can you collaborate with developers to improve requirements?

Understand that even within a development team, each individual developer may have a different style of working. It is good practice to regularly check-in with each developer and ask them what is their preferred workflow. The organisation may have a fixed or an adaptable development process. Remember the development team and you are on the same team so don't think of them as a burden. Do whatever you can as a BA to help make their lives simpler by understanding their preferred methodology and following it to streamline the development process.

I remember when I was a developer over a decade ago, and my perception of BAs was that they were know-it-alls that can't write a single line of code, nor understand the complexities of our world. Then when I hopped over the fence as a BA, I thought that developers were know-it-alls that don't understand the business value of what we try to create. It's amazing how much a role and perspective shift can cause, but if there's anything I've learned now, it comes down to efforts you take in understanding others; That's gotta be the foundational structure of any good development process. Humanizing the work that we do, by understanding people's involvement, what they do, and why they do it, can go a long way in providing value-centric solutions.

Imagine you're working on developing a new e-commerce platform, and one of the requirements is to implement a complex discounting system based on customer loyalty and purchase history. As a business analyst, you collaborate with developers to refine this requirement. Concerns about potential performance issues could lead us to break down the discount calculation process, providing technical documentation for clarity. Through iterative feedback, we could address integration challenges with existing systems, ensuring the final implementation is aligned with both business goals and technical feasibility. This collaborative approach enhances the quality of requirements and contributes to the successful implementation of the discounting system.

It is very important for business analysts to understand the development effort required as well as the automation solution. The business analyst must have a general understanding of the dependencies, inputs, and basic requirements and must be able to assess the feasibility of any requirement. A business analyst can also review existing documentation, test scenarios, participate in stand-ups, ask questions and take training when necessary.

The formation of cross-functional teams, training sessions, and a culture of continuous learning strengthen the collaborative relationship between business analysts and developers, promoting a streamlined and successful project development process.

When involving developers in sessions with stakeholders it help s to meet with them ahead of time to level set. Level set on what the project is about, the goals, the risks, and context before the meeting. Make sure you discuss with the develpers what their role is, and what parts you want their input. Discuss what getting too detailed means, and what level of detail is appropriate for the goals of the meeting with the stakeholders. Developers can add tremendous value when involved early on, and setting the context is a huge step in getting this value from the process.

Involving developers in elicitation sessions and other engagements can be quite helpful. They can contribute immensely to ensuring that effective and accurate requirements are gathered because of their technical knowledge, expertise and suggestions. However, a business analyst should be able to gather requirements with/without help.

In my experience involving developers in requirement gathering meeting not only allows questions of what/how/if something can be achieved from a technical perspective but most importantly it builds relevance to the developers in understanding the issues the business users are facing, opening up opportunities for solutions and suggestions. Yes the role of the BA is to gather the business requirements and explain to the development team in simple terms, but for true transparency it is a good starting point for developers to be involved in these discussions even if only observing. This early involvement I have found to be extremely beneficial, our developers interest in the problem is increased as they feel more involved with the business.

It is absolutely great to involve developers, because their technical know-how would add up in the requirements gathering. However, A Business Analyst should be observant to detest if their contributions are objective or subjective. There should be a balance check with the business to ensure that whilst the technical team might refer an alternative solution for instance, the business needs are still met.

Build trust and make it clear from the outset you want them to challenge and question you. Never be precious about requirements - developers are the best peer reviewers because as a BA we can get too deep into the business detail and need a developer to ask us the logical questions that we have overlooked in our quest to document the requirements correctly. Devs are our safety net, if they have questions then as a BA we should be able to answer them and add more clarity to our requirements or they’ve identified a gap in elicitation that we need to go and question.

Visual and interactive tools enhance communication and comprehension. Utilizing tools like wireframes or interactive prototypes can significantly aid developers in grasping the project's vision. For instance, when working on a website redesign, employing visual mock-ups helped convey the desired user interface and functionality. This visual representation not only clarified requirements but also stimulated constructive discussions, leading to a more refined and accurate set of specifications.

User stories and acceptance criteria are critically important. Make sure that you clearly define the end user. It's confusing to say "the business user will..." Instead, get specific "the sales manager user will..."

Software development is a high pressure job. It requires a lot of focus and concentration. So don't keep badgering the developers. Work with them. Try to mak the process easier for them. Give them the opportunity to focus on their main task which is development rather than I n volving them in unnecessary meetings. At the begining if a project make sure to consider the developers opinion while eliciting the requirements because they are the ones who will ultimately be coding the project and bringing it to life. They will be able to spot certain things that may pass you by.

Respecting developers' time and expertise is fundamental to fostering a collaborative environment. Acknowledging the intricacies of their workloads and seeking input judiciously ensures efficient use of their time. For example, when refining database requirements for a software project, scheduling focused sessions with the database team allowed for targeted discussions, minimizing disruptions to their ongoing tasks. This approach fosters a sense of collaboration, making developers more willing to actively contribute their expertise.

In my practice, I've seen that when we prioritize building a positive and supportive atmosphere, it reduces conflicts and encourages teamwork. This, in turn, leads to improved communication and a better understanding of both business and technical needs.

When things go wrong in a project, never put the blame on any developer. BAs and developers should be on the same time. Try to find a solution with them rather than against them. Don't throw them under the bus. Also when you have meetings with them don't directly start talking about work only. They are also humans with personal lives so make sure to check in with them to see how they are doing outside of work.

Collaborating with developers earlier in the project is very important as they assist by incorporating their technical insist throughout the design phase and assist the BA in streamlining the requirements and ensuring they are fit for purpose. The key to effective communication between developers and BA is to have continuous communication and a good feedback mechanism

1.Always developers play a vital role in confirming the technical feasibility / requirement w. r. t the specific business requirement. 2.The BA should be in touch with developers to convert the business requirements to the right technical solution. (How a product is supposed to do) 3.Developers can improve the requirements via right tech. solutions /alternate solutions / recommend market tech. solutions.