Traceability: Traceability: Why Connecting the Why Connecting the

Dots is ImportantDots is ImportantInternational Project Management International Project Management

Day Day Friday, November 5, 2010Friday, November 5, 2010

Jennifer C. Colburn, CBAP, Jennifer C. Colburn, CBAP, PMPPMP

Senior Business Analyst at Kindred HealthcareSenior Business Analyst at Kindred Healthcare CBAP (Certified Business Analysis CBAP (Certified Business Analysis

Professional) by the IIBA (International Professional) by the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis)Institute of Business Analysis)

PMP (Project Management Professional) by PMP (Project Management Professional) by PMI (Project Management Institute)PMI (Project Management Institute)

VP of Education for Louisville Chapter of the VP of Education for Louisville Chapter of the IIBA 2009-2010IIBA 2009-2010

Member of the IIBA’s Business Analysis Member of the IIBA’s Business Analysis Competency Model CommitteeCompetency Model Committee

Enjoys traveling to other countries. Enjoys traveling to other countries.

What is Traceability?What is Traceability?

Traceable –adjectiveTraceable –adjective

1. capable of being traced.1. capable of being traced.

2. attributable or ascribable 2. attributable or ascribable (usually fol. by to): a victory (usually fol. by to): a victory traceable to good coaching.traceable to good coaching.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/traceabilityhttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/traceability

Connecting the DotsConnecting the Dots

http://appraisalnewsonline.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/12/19/http://appraisalnewsonline.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/12/19/connect_the_dots.jpgconnect_the_dots.jpg

Traceability for IT Traceability for IT ProjectsProjects

Enterprise Traceability Enterprise Traceability Understanding how the project traces Understanding how the project traces

back to organizational goals. back to organizational goals. Requirements Traceability Requirements Traceability

Tracing Business, Functional, and Tracing Business, Functional, and Technical Requirements and Use Technical Requirements and Use Cases/Test ScriptsCases/Test Scripts

Enterprise AnalysisEnterprise Analysis

Understanding the “big picture” Understanding the “big picture” Define Define businessbusiness goals the solution must goals the solution must

meetmeet Integrate requirements into larger Integrate requirements into larger

businessbusiness architecture architecture Support initiatives and long term Support initiatives and long term

planningplanning Strategic planning, business case Strategic planning, business case

development, CBA, feasibility studiesdevelopment, CBA, feasibility studies ““Why are we doing this?”Why are we doing this?”

From the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge v 2.0 From the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge v 2.0

Zachman FrameworkZachman Framework

Enterprise TraceabilityEnterprise Traceability

http://www.clearbrick.com/blog/2007/07/every-lproject-should-http://www.clearbrick.com/blog/2007/07/every-lproject-should-connect-dots.htmconnect-dots.htm

Make sure that the project will address a critical business need and deliver tangible results that contribute to stakeholder value.

Where is the “Big Where is the “Big Picture”?Picture”?

Mission StatementMission Statement Portfolio StrategyPortfolio Strategy Business StrategyBusiness Strategy Strategic InitiativesStrategic Initiatives Success FactorsSuccess Factors Balanced ScorecardsBalanced Scorecards Business goals of your sponsorBusiness goals of your sponsor

Documenting Enterprise Documenting Enterprise TraceabilityTraceability

SponsorSponsor Project CharterProject Charter

Clearly stated Business Objectives Clearly stated Business Objectives SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable,

Relevant, Time-Bound)Relevant, Time-Bound) Cost Benefit AnalysisCost Benefit Analysis ROIROI Change ControlChange Control

Relationship between project components and Relationship between project components and business goals/objectivesbusiness goals/objectives

ResourcesResources

http://www.thebamm.org/architecture/index.asphttp://www.thebamm.org/architecture/index.asp

Requirements Requirements TraceabilityTraceability

"In the requirements engineering field, "In the requirements engineering field, traceability is about understanding how traceability is about understanding how high-level requirements -- objectives, high-level requirements -- objectives, goals, aims, aspirations, expectations, goals, aims, aspirations, expectations, needs -- are transformed into low-level needs -- are transformed into low-level requirements. It is therefore primarily requirements. It is therefore primarily concerned with the relationships concerned with the relationships between layers of information." between layers of information."

Requirements Engineering (Second Edition) Hull, Jackson & Dick.Requirements Engineering (Second Edition) Hull, Jackson & Dick.

Requirements Requirements TraceabilityTraceability

Prevent scope creep and/or gold plating Prevent scope creep and/or gold plating Ensure a quality productEnsure a quality product ““Does the solution do what it is suppose to do?”Does the solution do what it is suppose to do?” Facilitates Change ControlFacilitates Change Control Assists in prioritization and future planningAssists in prioritization and future planning

““The ability to describe and follow the life of a The ability to describe and follow the life of a requirement, in both a forward and backward requirement, in both a forward and backward direction (i.e. from its origins, through its direction (i.e. from its origins, through its development and specification, to its subsequent development and specification, to its subsequent deployment and use, and through periods of deployment and use, and through periods of ongoing refinement and iteration in any of these ongoing refinement and iteration in any of these phases).”phases).”http://www.projectperfect.com.au/info_requirements_traceability.phphttp://www.projectperfect.com.au/info_requirements_traceability.php

Traceability MatrixTraceability Matrix

Associates the business and functional Associates the business and functional requirements with the use cases and test requirements with the use cases and test scripts that will be used to validate them. scripts that will be used to validate them.

Ensures completeness of testing and Ensures completeness of testing and provides the basis for test planning. provides the basis for test planning.

Can be a stand-alone document or part of Can be a stand-alone document or part of the requirements document or test plan. the requirements document or test plan.

Change Control- when a business Change Control- when a business requirement changes (or changes requirement changes (or changes priority)- it can be identified and updated priority)- it can be identified and updated easily throughout all documentation.easily throughout all documentation.

http://www.slideshare.net/jennifercolburnhttp://www.slideshare.net/jennifercolburn

Traceability Matrix Traceability Matrix Example 1Example 1

Each Business Requirement decomposed to smallest Each Business Requirement decomposed to smallest package and assigned a unique identifier. BR 001package and assigned a unique identifier. BR 001

Each Business Requirement will have one or more Each Business Requirement will have one or more functional requirements. FR 001.01, FR 001.02functional requirements. FR 001.01, FR 001.02

The relationship of driver (i.e. requirement) to satisfier (i.e. use case or test script) can be one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-one. Traceability requires unique identifiers for each requirement and use case/test script.

Traceability Matrix Traceability Matrix Example 2Example 2

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_vdqOsYKAf0Y/Sjw5tKW4EyI/AAAAAAAAAXM/http://lh5.ggpht.com/_vdqOsYKAf0Y/Sjw5tKW4EyI/AAAAAAAAAXM/YoRVMRxsOgU/Sample%20Traceability%20Matrix2_thumb%5B2%5D.jpgYoRVMRxsOgU/Sample%20Traceability%20Matrix2_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg

Traceability to Test Traceability to Test ScriptsScripts

SummarySummary

Projects that are aligned with business Projects that are aligned with business goals provide value.goals provide value.

Enterprise Traceability proves Enterprise Traceability proves alignment to business goals. alignment to business goals.

Requirements Traceability assists in Requirements Traceability assists in qualityquality solutions that meet the solutions that meet the business needs. business needs.

Traceability allows for greater control Traceability allows for greater control of inevitable changes during a project. of inevitable changes during a project.