Software Requirements Essentials: Core Practices for Successful Business Analysis

by Karl Wiegers, Candase Hokanson

20 Best Practices for Developing and Managing Requirements on Any Project Software Requirements Essentials presents 20 core practices for successful requirements planning, elicitation, analysis, specification, validation, and management. Leading requirements experts Karl Wiegers and Candase Hokanson focus on the practices most likely to deliver superior value for both traditional and agile projects, in any application domain. These core practices help teams understand business problems, engage the right participants, articulate better solutions, improve communication, implement the most valuable functionality in the right sequence, and adapt to change and growth. Concise and tightly focused, this book offers just enough pragmatic "how-to" detail for you to apply the core practices with confidence, whether you're a business analyst, requirements engineer, product manager, product owner, or developer. Using it, your entire team can build a shared understanding of key concepts, terminology, techniques, and rationales--and work together more effectively on every project. Learn how "I once read the ten best-selling requirements engineering books of the prior ten years. This one book succinctly presents more useful information than those ten books combined."
-- Mike Cohn , author of User Stories Applied and co-founder, Scrum Alliance "Diamonds come about when a huge amount of carbon atoms are compressed. Karl and Candase have done something very they have compressed their vast requirements knowledge into 20 gems they call 'core practices.' These practices are potent stuff, and I recommend that they become part of everyone's requirements arsenal."
-- James Robertson , author of Mastering the Requirements Process and Business Analysis Agility "Long story if you are going to read only one requirements book, this is it. Software Requirements Essentials distills the wealth of information found in Software Requirements and many other texts down to twenty of the most important requirements activities that apply on nearly all projects. Today's busy BA simply doesn't have the time to read a lengthy instructive guide front-to-back. But they should find the time to read this book."
--From the Foreword by Joy Beatty , COO, ArgonDigital " Software Requirements Essentials will be a high-value addition to your business analysis library. Anyone looking to improve their business analysis practices will find great practical advice they'll be able to apply immediately."
-- Laura Paton , Principal Consultant, BA Academy, Inc. Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.

208 pages, Paperback

Published March 19, 2023

About the author

Karl Wiegers is Principal Consultant with Process Impact, a software development consulting and training company in Portland, Oregon. He has a PhD in organic chemistry. Karl is the author of 14 books, including Software Requirements Essentials (with Candase Hokanson), Software Development Pearls, The Thoughtless Design of Everyday Things, Software Requirements (with Joy Beatty), More About Software Requirements, Successful Business Analysis Consulting, and a forensic mystery novel titled The Reconstruction.

Karl has also written many articles on software development, design, project management, chemistry, military history, consulting, and self-help, as well as 18 songs. He has delivered hundreds of training courses, webinars, and conference presentations worldwide. When he's not at the keyboard, Karl enjoys wine tasting, volunteering (library and Meals on Wheels), playing guitar, recording songs (hear them at https://www.karlwiegers.com/songs.html), military history, and traveling.

You can reach Karl at https://www.ProcessImpact.com or https://www.KarlWiegers.com.

Reviews

[Henry Suryawirawan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A condensed and must-read book on software requirements. It consists of the essential practices every software team needs to cultivate if they want to build a successful and useful product.

[Juan González Núñez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Knowledge Level: Basic
Audience: Juniors who want to understand the baselines of software requirements
Review: The author brings to the table some practices to improve the software requirements process, even though some of them are not the best option or are older.
Lessons Learned: Requirements concepts

[JAMES L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great insight into how to masterfully work through the analysis phase of a project. A complex subject matter written with brilliance, skill and laymens terms.

[Potasse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dense and concise, perfect basis for business analysis. Not technical.

[João Dobbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read book for evey IT professional. It can be overwhelming sometimes, specially if you work at startups, but there are some valuable, seminal tips to improve your execution.