An effective business analyst employs both standard techniques such as interviews, surveys, and brainstorming sessions, as well as more advanced methods for identifying hidden needs: job shadowing, mapping current processes (AS-IS analysis), and analyzing complaints/errors in the existing system. Additionally, techniques like the "five whys" and scenario modeling (storyboarding) are employed to uncover the root of problems that stakeholders may not even be aware of.
Key features:
Can one rely solely on interviews with key stakeholders?
No, interviews often highlight explicit tasks, but true problems only emerge when observing users and analyzing incidents.
Do hidden needs have to be included in the requirements description?
Yes, they must be formalized; otherwise, the team will not implement them — it is essential to translate hidden patterns into clear tasks.
Can it be said that requirements not explicitly stated are not mandatory for implementation?
No, often the success of a project largely depends on how well the team considers implicit expectations and needs.
Negative case: The analyst gathered requirements only from the department head, without analyzing complaints from end users. Pros: Quick project kickoff, less work at the start. Cons: The initial solution did not address most of the actual "pain points" of the staff, leading to costly refactoring.
Positive case: The analyst observed users, identified "pain points" in the processes, and translated them into requirements. Pros: The solution immediately satisfied all users. Cons: More time and resources were needed for the analysis phase.