Writing detailed business requirements that define WHAT the new software must deliver is the most time-consuming and expensive part of software selection. Below, we list where this work pays off.
Create user buy-in. When users prioritize requirements, we capture who wants it, why they want it, and how important it is to them. When users see their details written on the requirements and realize that their input drives the software selection, they take ownership of the project outcome. They actively want it to succeed.
Control project scope. Prioritizing requirements defines the project scope. It eliminates unimportant requirements but documents they were considered. (Important for regulated industries.)
Minimize compromise. Requirements are used to select the software that best delivers WHAT is needed to execute business processes and deliver the desired process outputs.
Better RFP responses. Professionally written requirements and demo instructions minimize vendor "wriggle room," reducing the risk of software being misrepresented on the RFP and the demos.
Gap analysis. The fit score is used to measure how well the software meets YOUR SPECIFIC requirements. All software has some compromises, and you should know these compromises BEFORE signing any contracts.
Functional boundaries. No software product does everything you want. Deciding what functionality should be in the software and what is best handled with external systems is a very tough problem to solve. If no products score high enough on the RFP, you need to reduce the scope of the requirements to fit the software products you are considering (or consider other products.)
Software demo script. The gap analysis measures how well potential products meet the requirements and is used to pick the best-fit products for the demo. The demo focuses on ensuring the software adequately meets the major pain points. After all, if the new software doesn't solve those pain points, why are you even undertaking the project?
Reduce contractual risk. If the vendor claims the software fully meets a requirement on the RFP and, during the implementation, it is discovered it doesn't, they should resolve the issue at their cost. Having this documented on the RFP gives you the leverage needed to persuade them to do that.
Negotiation leverage. The fit score measures how well potential software products meet your requirements. Knowing the fit scores of several products provides alternatives if a vendor is unreasonable during negotiations.
Set expectations. No software is perfect or does everything you want. The full RFP response of the selected software defines your functional expectations for that software.
Plan implementation. Exporting requirements in WBS format describes WHAT must be implemented and may be used to create the initial version of the implementation plan. Reduces the risk of things getting forgotten, only to be discovered when going live and they disrupt business.
Reduce System Integrator discovery. We make all the information we discovered during the software selection available to the system integrator. While it doesn't eliminate their discovery, it gives them a running start on the implementation and can substantially reduce the amount of work they need to do.
Reduce implementation risks. No software is perfect. Weak areas of the selected product are identified and tackled early during the implementation before they can cause delays.
Reduce decision latency. When system integrators have questions, the requirements tell them whom to contact. Decisions are made faster, especially in larger organizations.
Reduce scope creep. A detailed requirements analysis that specifies precisely WHAT the software must deliver reduces the risk of implementation scope creep, the primary cause of implementation delays.
Minimize business disruption risk. User Acceptance Tests (UATs) are written based on detailed requirements. When the software passes all UATs, the risk of business disruption when going live is minimized.
Regulatory compliance. The Wayferry process provides full bi-directional traceability between the selected software and the business processes & deliverables. You even have links to time-stamped transcriptions of audio recordings of process owners describing what they do and the outputs their processes must deliver.