There are numerous moving parts functioning during the building and answering of business requirements. A major tool in the checks and balances of requirements is “The Approval.”
The approval sheet is a section in a requirements document but serves a more lengthy purpose than just one document. Approvals occur numerous times throughout the document between the business team and the IT team. The approval process can aid in keeping project items on track. In times past, and in some cases currently, the business team has submitted a list of requirements, better known as “The WHAT.” The IT team took the list and went off to build “HOW” the “WHAT” should function. The results are large disagreements because the business didn’t understand what the IT team built. In short, time and money were wasted and redesigns would occur. The process of building and communication was revamped using “Approvals.”
Both business and IT teams meet, discuss various facets of a project and via written approvals, task are kept close to the desired outcome of the project. If a task could not be configured, a work around was agreed upon or the option to scrap a task was agreed upon. A project without a solid approval process is asking for chaos to ensue. There are numerous cases in which projects did not have a strong approval process and teams went off on a tangent, designing items askew, or working on unrelated task which resulted in IT dictating the project, leaving the business wondering where the partnership went wrong.
The approval process keeps teams aware to the “agreed” task to complete and the desired outcome. A good example is when a person agrees to purchase an automobile of a specific make, model, and color but never gives a list of requirements to the dealer. The dealer brings in a new car to show, and the customer is not happy. The customer’s desire was not offered and the dealer is unhappy because of a wasted effort. A team could have a well assembled requirements document but with no approval process in place that will oversee modifications or changes, is highly likely to result is adjustment troubles, frustrations, and time/money loss.
The approval requires specific signatures that represent both teams, signing off on requirements and those modifications, changes, and adjustments that occur. Approval also acts as a very good tracking tool for projects as well.
