Enhancing Agile Scrum Through Requirements Management

January 10th, 2024 by inflectra

In the dynamic world of Agile Scrum framework, the essence of project success lies in the meticulous management of requirements and prioritization of tasks. This article, written by Melissa Daley, CEO and Founder of Orca Intelligence, synthesizes key insights from two critical aspects of Agile project management: Requirements Management and Prioritization in the Agile Scrum Process.

Background

Agile is an expansive term with numerous variations. For clarity, this article will focus on the Agile Scrum framework. Within this framework, the goal is to break down the solution scope. This typically starts with Epics, which are then distilled into Features. At the core of Agile Scrum is Requirements Management, a process pivotal for many roles such as the Systems Analysts, Business Systems Analysts, and Systems Engineers. These professionals act as the crucial bridge between business needs and precise engineering specifications. The process begins with the solution scope, breaking down epics and features further into detailed scenarios and user stories.

A Modern Day Example

An example can be drawn from an Apprenticeship Management System (AMS), where a feature like "Manage Apprenticeship Application" is considered an Epic and the resulting user stories are further segmented into more granular tasks.

Take, for instance, a feature in the AMS labeled "Manage Apprenticeship Application," which could be designated as an 'Epic.' This Epic can further be subdivided into 'Features,' such as "Modify Apprenticeship Application." Subsequently, this Feature can be detailed into user stories, scenarios, use cases, or other terminologies your team might use. Examples might encompass tasks like "Edit Apprenticeship Application," "Audit Changes to Apprenticeship Application," or "Revoke Edits to Apprenticeship."

But the process doesn't stop there. Accompanying these scenarios are essential components like data elements, business regulations, system prompts, and security protocols that ensure comprehensive functionality.

Data elements would include but not limited to

Apprentice First Name
Apprentice Last Name
Apprentice ID
Apprentice Address
Apprentice City
Apprentice State
Apprentice Zip Code

Business rules would include

User cannot complete an application with a valid address.
User address must be a Maryland address.

System prompts would include

If the user enters in an invalid Maryland address, “This address does not exist.”
If the user entered a DC address, ”Invalid Address Entered”

A security protocol would include:

NIST 800.171 Access Control 3.1.4 03.01.04 Separate the duties of individuals to reduce the risk of malevolent activity without collusion.

Separation of duties addresses the potential for abuse of authorized privileges and helps to reduce the risk of malevolent activity without collusion. Separation of duties includes dividing mission functions and system support functions among different individuals or roles; conducting system support functions with different individuals (e.g., configuration management, quality assurance and testing, system management, programming, and network security); and ensuring that security personnel administering access control functions do not also administer audit functions. Because separation of duty violations can span systems and application domains, organizations consider the entirety of organizational systems and system components when developing policy on separation of duties.

Additionally, each of these segments encompasses vital components such as data elements, business rules, system prompts, and security protocols, ensuring comprehensive functionality. For instance, data elements may include Apprentice personal and contact information, while business rules may dictate specifics like address validity and location constraints.

Prioritization in Agile Scrum: Streamlining Development

In Agile Scrum, the prioritization of these segmented requirements management activities are crucial. Using the AMS example, logic dictates that creating a record should precede its modification. Thus, "Initiate an Apprenticeship Application" would be prioritized over "Modify Apprenticeship Application." The sequence for the remaining scenarios is typically determined based on customer preferences and project goals.

Effective prioritization ensures a development approach that minimizes potential rework. Conducting regular backlog grooming or refinement sessions is vital for continuously reprioritizing and refining the feature and scenario breakdowns, setting each sprint on a clearer trajectory.

Leveraging Tools for Enhanced Management and Prioritization

Tools like Swiftly and SpiraPlan play a significant role in this process. Swiftly uses traditional AI to aid in auto-generating documentation, reducing the burden on solution developers. It handles the creation of Epics, Features, Scenarios, and other components, incorporating relevant business rules and security protocols. SpiraPlan, on the other hand, offers a robust platform for requirement planning, management, and version control.

Furthermore, the rapid increase of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in identifying some business requirements and technical specifications has made many tools embrace this form or some structured or unstructured learning algorithms to unearth patterns that further require more specific requirements or specifications. So, what should be prioritized? Who is continuously involved in soliciting the requirements?

In conclusion, while the integration of effective requirements management with strategic prioritization within the Agile Scrum framework is key to successful project execution, the rising influence of AI/ML can’t be completely missed out. This combined approach not only enhances the clarity and direction of each development cycle but also significantly contributes to the overall efficiency and success of software development projects.

What's Next?

Please stay tuned for the next article in this partner blog series on how to generate and prioritize requirements. This article will be published at https://www.orcaintelligence.com/

This article was written by Melissa Daley and edited by Sriram Rajagopalan.