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I'm thrilled and relieved that spring has finally sprung in the northeastern USA. In between our client engagements, EBG'ers are sharing practices and experiences in various locales around the globe. Our springtime events include: ...Check EBG's Upcoming Events to see if our paths might cross. Got Value? This hot topic is a cornerstone of our practice. Read my notes below about Mary Gorman's recent webinar on the topic. Stay tuned; in the near future we'll be sharing tips and techniques about discovering and delivering value.. Read on...
Published on April 16, 2013
Berlin. Dearborn. Toronto. Greenville. London. Lowell. Hartford. Boston. Dallas. You can find EBG'ers in these cities over the next few months doing public training and presentations. And if you're not in travel mode, we've made available a slew of recent podcasts and webinars. You can find them on our EBG Consulting or our Discover to Deliver media page. Follow our Lean/Agile Product Planning and Analysis scoops, see our pins, and read our tweets. And: check out a resource many folks have been downloading: The 7 Product Dimensions, available via Creative Commons license in jpg or pdf format. Read on...
Published on February 12, 2013
Happy 2013 to all our loyal readers! We at EBG Consulting wish you a joyous, peaceful, learning-filled, and especially healthy year. Soon, I'll be off to Munich to present a tutorial and talk at OOP, the largest software conference in Germany. Before I leave, I get to co-present with Mary Gorman a special webinar (via the IIBA) on our new book. Join us to learn more about Discover to Deliver and get acquainted with useful, proven practices for agile product planning and analysis (registration info below—space is limited, so sign up now!). Great news! We've just released a new version of our book's website. There, you'll find new, free Discover to Deliver-related resources - including a download of our popular 7 Product Dimensions, photos of Product Options boards from real projects, and more. And we're extending to you dear readers a special book discount - see below for details. Also in this issue, you'll hear about my top 5 lean/agile 2012 books and get a pointer to using Given-When-Then to discover and validate requirements. Oh, and our upcoming events. Read on...
Published on January 15, 2013
Here's your chance to attend our flagship course, Agile Requirements: Collaborating to Define & Confirm Needs, November 28 and 29 in Ohio. Our training is usually limited to clients, so this is a great opportunity for you to attend this public event. See below for more information and your special discount. Also in this newsletter: Want a taste of a visual language that engages your teams' creative and analytical sides as you plan and analyze product needs? A number of new reviews of our book Discover to Deliver have been posted. To get the buzz, keep reading. You can meet up with EBGers in Atlanta, Columbus, and Miami at forthcoming events. Find out how below. We love to get together with our readers face-to-face! Read on...
Published on November 07, 2012
Many thanks to our loyal readers who helped us get the word out for the spectacular launch of Discover to Deliver: Agile Product Planning and Analysis, the new book Mary Gorman and I just published. The reviews are great, and we've had a ton of interest and feedback - globally! This book, two years in the making, already has a nickname we're fond of - D2D, as in Discover to Deliver.™ Need practical, hands-on, demystified Agile/Lean practices you can use daily in product discovery? Keep scrolling. Don't miss the details (below) on our public offering in late November of our flagship Agile Requirements training. Read on...
Published on October 24, 2012
I hope all is well with you and yours. I'm eager to share exciting news: Mary Gorman and I have published our new book, Discover to Deliver: Agile Product Planning and Analysis. Keep reading to learn more about the book and special discounts we're offering you through October 12th. Read on...
Published on September 25, 2012
I hope this eNewsletter finds you well and continually learning and growing your skills and knowledge. Many of our faithful readers have attended our recent webinars. And we welcome new readers we've met through the webinars and at numerous presentations we've made at conferences in the past few months. In addition to our webinars and conference presentations we at EBG Consulting have been busy with client engagements, and – oh yes! writing our book. Read on...
Published on May 22, 2012
I hope that your new year has gotten off to a fabulous start. Pragmatic. Experience-Based. Integrated, Good Stuff, not Fluff. That’s how our clients, colleagues and attendees characterize EBG Consulting’s training, e-Learning, publications, presentations, webinars and delivery services. In the upcoming months you can judge for yourself! We hope to you’ll join us for one or more of our public events. For example: Read on...
Published on February 07, 2012
It's been a busy fall and early winter for EBG. We've been working with several new agile clients, writing our new book, speaking at far-flung conferences and events, and doing occasional blogging and tweeting. I chaired two conference events this fall: the two-day Business Analysis and Requirements Workshop (at Better Software/Agile Development Practices, where I also keynoted) and the Agile Summit (at Project World/World Congress for Business Analysts). I also spoke at Agile New England and Agile NYC, presented webinars on agile analysis topics, and was thrilled to attend and present a topic at the Building Business Capability Conference along with Mary Gorman. Mary presented the keynote at IIBA New Zealand Development Day and at two other NZ locations. These conference events, and my role as presenter and learner at colleagues' sessions, reminded me of these essentials for success: Read on...
Published on December 06, 2011
I'd like to share some conferences happenings: Next week I'm off to Salt Lake City for the Agile 2011 conference. I'm thrilled that EBG Consulting has been selected to present three sessions at the largest agile conference on the planet! We'll be sharing essential analysis practices that fuel successful agile teams. Mary Gorman and I are pairing on a workshop in the Customer track (a.k.a. "stage"), I am pairing with agile testing guru Janet Gregory for a Testing track workshop, and Mary presents a business rules tutorial in the Testing track. Read on...
Published on August 03, 2011
I hope this eNewsletter finds you well and productive. It's been a busy spring for me with client work, book and article writing, and numerous events including speaking at the New Jersey IIBA, several free webinars, and chairing and presenting at the action-packed Business Analysis and Requirements workshop in Nevada a few weeks ago. And we're kicking off a busy summer and fall, too. I'm pleased to share numerous resources and some exciting announcements about public trainings we are offering. Read on...
Published on June 28, 2011
Happy spring to our northern hemisphere colleagues, and happy fall to our southern ones! In this eNewsletter, I share numerous resources and announcements. Learn about two upcoming free webinars, get an update on the book Mary Gorman and I are co-authoring, find requirements tips for data-centric projects, and read about our newest course offering. I hope you can join us for the free webinars. Read on...
Published on May 18, 2011
In this eNewsletter, I share my experience planning and chairing the 2010 Agile Summit, a role that helped me plan the upcoming Business Analysis and Requirements Workshop. Also in this eNewsletter: learn more about practices for successful retrospectives. Read on...
Published on March 16, 2011
[Success with Requirements]: New Resources; Wisdom Points; and other news
For this last newsletter of 2010, I’m sharing points of wisdom gleaned from my fall travels. Many are reminders, some are items that were reinforced for me by colleagues and clients, and others are new tidbits. I hope you find them enticing! In addition, I’ve got new resources for you including webinars, podcasts, expert tips, and blog posts. Read on...
Published on December 14, 2010
Agile+business analysis? Are they oil and water, or a sensible union? For more on how these practices really work, I’ll be conducting several webinars and share some bottom-line practices for agile requirements and business analysis. Read more below. I’m also pleased to announce some fabulous staffing changes in this eNewsletter. Read on...
Published on September 21, 2010
How do you learn? What do you do to develop your skills and professionalism? I recently had the chance to reflect on that topic during an interview with Bridging the Gap’s Laura Brandenburg. Her questions got me to thinking how important it is to be purposeful. How we learn seems especially relevant with the growth of agile practices across the globe. Read on....
Published on July 27, 2010
Have you ever participated in a learning session where everyone cared deeply about the topic, took responsibility for his own learning, and actively participated? If you haven’t, you’ll want to read about Open Space, the lead topic in this month’s eNewsletter. Read on....
Published on May 25, 2010
Whew it's been a busy start to 2010. In addition to EBG Consulting client engagements, starting my new blog Success with Requirements (and continuing to tweet), I've been busy with a number of community and conference events which I want to share with you. Read on....
Published on March 31, 2010
This year, watch for growing opportunities in agile business analysis, business process management, and for those with skill in requirements analysis and collaboration to have more opportunities to have an impact at the enterprise level. I'm pleased to announce some updated and additional (free!) resources for Navigating the IIBA BABOK. Read on....
Published on January 27, 2010
We have some rich resources to share with you this month from our recent conference experiences. Do you have agile experience? Why not join a new effort in 2010 to share your agile business analysis experience and knowledge with our wider agile and business analyst community?. Read on....
Published on December 10, 2009
I have lots of news to share with you: desktop size of the popular Software Requirements Memory Jogger; thought provoking ideas on analysis debt; expanding your business analysis awareness by navigating the IIBA BABOK; and our "give back" - gratis training on agile requirements for out-of-work folks in the Boston area. Read on....
Published on November 18, 2009
This month, Mary Gorman and I took time out from our client work to present webinars on two important topics: understanding the IIBA BABOK, and integrating requirements-driven planning workshops into your agile project. Read on...
Published on October 28, 2009
Mary and I spent an action-packed week at the Agile 2009 conference in Chicago in August. The question on everyone's mind: how do you transition to agile? Read on...
Published on September 10, 2009
In celebration of the upcoming Agile 2009 conference and the growing heat around all things agile, my theme for this month's issue is agile requirements and agile business analysis. Read on...
Published on August 19, 2009
You undoubtedly have had to deal with "difficult" behavior when facilitating a workshop. In this month's issue, I offer you tips to prevent disruptive behavior. Investing in these proactive techniques provides a big pay back and helps ensure your workshop success. Read on...
Published on July 21, 2009
As a workshop facilitator, you have probably had to deal with "difficult" behavior during a workshop. What should you do? In this issue, I suggest an approach that enables you to act in a neutral and congruent manner while truly serving as a facilitator. Read on...
Published on June 09, 2009
What size projects are appropriate for agile? How long should an iteration be? Do agile teams mix in waterfall practices? Can agile work in a distributed project? What do you do about convincing management to "go agile"? Read on...
Published on May 20, 2009
How do agile teams deal with changing requirements? How do they define quality attributes and conducting data analysis? What does the "cone of uncertainty" have to do with agile? These are some of the questions I address in this issue on agile analysis and agile requirements. Read on...
Published on April 21, 2009
What's the appropriate level of detail for a user story? How do you define 'tight' and 'precise' agile requirements? How do you define "agile" documentation? These are a sampling of questions I'm addressing this month on agile analysis and agile requirements. Read on...
Published on March 17, 2009
I am passionate about agile requirements. Recently, when the IIBA asked me to conduct a webinar for its membership on the topic, I eagerly responded "yes!" During the webinar there was only time to to answer a few of the many questions posted by the attendees. Given the keen interest, I thought it would be helpful to answer them all and share them with you in the next several EBG eNewsletters. Read on...
Published on February 24, 2009
The economic outlook for 2009 is not rosy. We are under pressure to do more, with less. Change is afoot on many fronts for us - economically, politically, organizationally, personally. This month I share my perspective on "what's up" for business analysis and requirements this coming year. Read on...
Published on January 27, 2009
Agile Requirements Podcast (Part 1); RAD Roots of Agile; and other Resources
Much of my recent focus has been helping business analysts transition to agile and coaching teams to effectively "do" agile requirements. I also conducted a webinar "Agile Requirements: Not an Oxymoron". My theme of this month's eNewsletter is about the transition many of you are making, or considering making: moving to agile development practices and agile requirements. Read on...
Published on December 18, 2008
Appreciation: Learning What Works (Part I: What's Going Right Around Here?); and other Resources
Do you sometimes feel that all you do is chase down problems? Are you constantly identifying and exploring issues, obstacles, and barriers? Does it seem as if a lot of your time is spent trying to fix things?...What if, rather than starting with problems and what doesn't work, you start with what does work?...Read on...
Published on November 18, 2008
Guerilla Facilitation; Recent Webinar Recordings, and other Resources
Ever feel frustrated that you can't intervene during meetings gone astray? How can you take action when you're not the designated facilitator or "one in charge"? In this month's article, I explore specific ways you conduct "guerilla facilitation" to help your group collaborate. Read on...
Published on October 28, 2008
Savvy Shopping for COTS Software, Upcoming Webinar, and other Resources
How do you tackle requirements for off-the-shelf (COTS) software? How do you make smart choices to ensure a good fit? What questions should your ask? How should you represent the requirements? ... This month, requirements guru and EBG Consulting Sr. Associate Mary Gorman shares good practices to use when shopping for COTS solutions. Read on...
Published on September 30, 2008
New Media Page; Upcoming Webinar, and other Resources
This month I will share newly available resources with you, including a fast approaching webinar (on August 26th) and a list of events we hope to see you at later this year.
Published on August 19, 2008
Podcast on Requirements Topics; New Contact Info; and other Resources
Summer is here for those of us in the northern hemisphere. We hope you are taking well-deserved time off!...This month I would like to share a two-part podcast I recently recorded with requirements.net. I hope you'll find the podcasts interesting listening. Read on...
Published on July 22, 2008
Decisions, Decisions; We've Moved!; Continued Discount on self-paced eLearning; and other Resources
How does your team make decisions? Do you discuss what decisions need to be made? Do you know how you'll arrive at your decision? Requirements work involves making decisions throughout your project. For example, decisions on scope, what will be released and when, who your users will be, what rules you will enforce, how quality attributes will be delivered, and many more! Read on...
Published on June 19, 2008
In the March 2008 issue of Success with Requirements I introduced three types of trust that are essential to successful teams and projects: contractual, communication and competency. I described four concrete ways to build trust. In this month's eNewsletter, I share five more techniques that build trust.
Published on May 28, 2008
When was the last time you visited your users to learn what they go through to get their work done? This can lead to a profound understanding of requirements, provide context for your analysis, and build rapport. Consider the combination of techniques you use to elicit requirements....Read on!
Published on April 29, 2008
The bedrock of any great team is trust. Yet, trust is something that doesn't happen automatically. It needs to be built early on in any project and requires continual care and feeding. I have found that good requirements practices, applied from the start of any project, enable trust. In this month's eNewsletter, I share characteristics of trust and how good practices will help you build and sustain trust in your teams. Read on...
Published on March 27, 2008
Investing in Interface Analysis; New Agile Offerings, Upcoming Public Offerings; and other Resources
A seldom discussed and often overlooked requirements topic is interface requirements. Ignoring or delaying understanding these requirements can imperil your efforts. In this issue, I'm pleased to share this incisive article by Mary Gorman, our Senior Associate. Mary explains why and how you should invest in analyzing your interfaces requirements. I hope you'll find it useful. Read on...
Published on February 21, 2008
Agile Requirements, in Context; Upcoming Public Offerings and other Resources
Perhaps you are on an agile team, or will soon (or hope to) transition to agile practices. How do you "do" agile requirements when your product is large and complex? Can you strike a balance between gaining upfront understanding of product requirements while honoring the agile imperatives for delivering buisness value and iterative development? Read more...
Published on January 30, 2008
Podcast: "Adapting Your Requirements Practices"; and other Resources
This month's eNewsletter features a recent podcast on adapting your requirements practices. This podcast was recorded by StickyMinds as a follow-up to my two-part article on adapting requirements. In this podcast, I explore project factors to consider and requirements elements to adapt depending on your particular project situation. The goal is to do the right things for your project. Read on...
Published on December 20, 2007
Not all requirements are created equal. All teams - and product development efforts - need clear, inclusive and justifiable ways to make smart choices about the myriad of changing requirements. In this article, I explore some essential practices around prioritization that I hope you will find useful. Read on...
Published on November 27, 2007
YAGNI Your Requirements Docs; Blended Classrooms offerings; and other Resources
This newsletter's article addresses the topic of requirements documentation. How useful is yours? Do you produce dense and voluminous requirements documentation that doesn't provide business value? How much is too much - or too little? What questions can you ask yourself to make good choices about requirements documentation? I'll explore how you can leverage the YAGNI principle from eXtreme Programming (XP) for making good choices about your requirements documentation. Read on!
Published on October 25, 2007
Requirements Practices on Agile Projects; Blended Classrooms offerings; and other Resources
In this issue I address these questions: Do agile projects abandon requirements? Some think so. How do successful agile teams manage requirements? Read on as I share my observations from working with agile teams. Read on...
Published on September 27, 2007
Scope Keep, not Scope Creep; New eLearning and Blended Classrooms offerings and other Resources
Got creep? Scope creep, that is! It's estimated that 80% of projects suffer scope creep. I hope you'll take a moment to read some thoughts in this issue on effective ways to handle this risk! Read on...
Published on August 31, 2007
Slow Down to Speed Up; Access Free Webinar; Upcoming eLearning and other Resources
I hope you have a few moments in your busy day to slow down and read my article, Slow Down to Speed Up. ;-) Read on... Read on...
Published on June 26, 2007
A lot of our work as analysts involves figuring out what doesn't belong: you've got to untangle a complex hairball of business and technical issues, navigate competing stakeholder needs, tolerate organizational and team politics, consider competitive concerns and market needs, manage schedule pressures, and more. To straighten all this out, you need to separate out all the issues while exploring their interconnections. Read on...
Published on May 30, 2007
Collaboration Conundrum; Free Webinar and other Resources
You know facilitated workshops are an effective way to elicit requirements. But getting business customers to invest the time to attend multiple workshops lasting hours or even days is a major challenge. What are some time-tested techniques to get business folks genuinely commit to the process? Read on...
Published on April 29, 2007
Inaugural Issue! Free eLearning Pilot;Success with Stakeholders and other Resources
1. Successful projects depend on excellent requirements. 2. Getting excellent requirements in optimal time requires honest collaboration. 3. Both sides of the business-IT relationship have information that's critically relevant to an excellent set of requirements. 4. Successful projects require early, genuine, and continual collaboration between business and IT. Common sense, right? Any experienced business analyst (BA) and project manager (PM) will tell you its not always common practice. I'd like to share a few business-IT collaboration tactics that have saved my clients money and frustration: Read on...
Published on March 21, 2007
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