CENTRAL1
Requirements Workshop
THE CHALLENGE
What are we building?
New banking platform using and third-party API
Two financial institutions are the initial clients, each with specific needs
The goal is to go over all the needs of the clients and map it to the third party API to determine the scope of work
44 features are identified, from simple to multi-step workflows
THE CHALLENGE
Non aligned priorities
16 people from five different companies, each company had its own priorities
A key concern was to keep the anticipated development cost down by using the built-in API functionality as possible
We needed to cater to different needs while minimizing the amount of new work
THE APPROACH
Workshop Planning
We analyzed the 44 features to map out commonalities and dependencies
We asked the clients to go over all 44 features to gather requirements ahead of the workshop
We asked the third-party API provider to analyze the features and prepare appropriate demos
THE APPROACH
Workshop Planning
We defined a clear process to be used to go over each feature.
The process clearly defines the role of each company in the discussion.
We constructed the agenda to match the expected energy level of the participants.
THE APPROACH
Workshop Execution
The workshop was divided into two blocks of three days, in two different cities.
We also had to change rooms so mobility was key. Paying attention to room setup and logistic was key.
We capture everything on flip charts to easily roll everything up and move.
THE APPROACH
Workshop Execution
Belief in our ability to cover the 44 features was low.
We set the rules of engagement clearly and challenged the group to beat the odds.
We would check our progress against the target everyday to raise confidence.
THE APPROACH
Collaborative Discipline
We fostered an atmosphere of strict discipline to follow the process and agenda.
We established fixed time blocks for discussion and collaboration.
The approach creates a collaborative discipline where the participants felt they could contribute and adhere to the process and timeline.
THE RESULTS
Impacts
All participants were thrilled with the outcome.
Everyone became aligned on what the work will be.
We covered all 44 features and uncovered 12 additional items important to the success of the new platform.
Our workshop reduced the development onboarding from 12 weeks to 4 weeks.
