Question

Anika is a BA who is getting pressure from her management about obtaining the approval for her solution requirements. The business requirements have been signed off on and the solution has been chosen. Anika met with her director to educate him on why it is inappropriate at this time to review the solution since she has not finished her technical requirements specification. Once she has the document completed she will review it with the management team. What approach should Anika preferably take?

a. Create a presentation of the high-level functionality delivered by the solution and present to stakeholders for approval.
b. Explain why her approach is the correct one and to ask for patience.
c. Inform her manager of the pressure she is receiving so that they can address any potential issues.
d. Inform her project manager of the situation so that they can address any potential issues together.

Answer 1

Anika should take the time to complete her technical requirements specification before seeking management approval. This requires clear communication with stakeholders and adherence to a thorough problem-solving process that encompasses the entire project lifecycle from problem identification to solution proposal and evaluation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Anika, a Business Analyst (BA), is facing pressure from her management to obtain approval for her solution requirements. Despite having signed off on the business requirements and selecting a solution, she has yet to finalize her technical requirements specification. Considering this, the most appropriate approach for Anika is to educate her director on the importance of completing the technical requirements before seeking approval (option b). This aligns with the structured process necessary for effective problem-solving that involves identifying a problem, defining requirements and constraints, brainstorming potential solutions, evaluating these solutions against the requirements, and then communicating the chosen solution clearly with justification.

Anika's decision to refrain from seeking approval for incomplete work demonstrates a professional understanding of the problem-solving process, ensuring that any proposal presented to management is thorough and ready for evaluation. This reduces the risk of overlooking critical technical requirements that could lead to project delays or failures.

A critical aspect of this approach involves clear communication with all stakeholders, as outlined in the problem-solving process requiring decisions and science behind the choice of solution to be made clear and understandable. Anika's approach should explain the 'what' and 'why' to her management in a manner that is both informative and straightforward, and ultimately strengthens the usability and usefulness of the proposed technical requirements.