Purpose
Ensure that the requirements are correct, complete, consistent, and actually solve the business problem before development begins. "Building the right thing" vs. "Building the thing right".
Verification vs. Validation
- Verification: "Are we building the product right?" (Does the Requirement meet quality standards?)
- Validation: "Are we building the right product?" (Does the Requirement solve the user's need?)
Key Validation Techniques
1. Peer Review / Walkthroughs
- Process: Informal or semi-formal review with colleagues (Devs, other BAs).
- Goal: Find logic errors, ambiguities, and missing edge cases.
- Checklist:
- Is it clear?
- Is it testable?
- Is it feasible?
2. Stakeholder Inspections / Sign-off
- Process: Formal review with Business Owners.
- Goal: Approval to proceed.
- Method: Don't just read the doc. Walk through scenarios/examples.
3. Prototyping
- Method: Show, don't tell. Use wireframes or mockups.
- Goal: Validate UI/UX requirements. "Is this what you imagined?"
4. Acceptance Criteria Review
- Method: Review "Given-When-Then" scenarios.
- Goal: Ensure the requirement is specific enough to be tested.
Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)
Purpose
Link Requirements to their origin and downstream deliverables.
- Forward Traceability: Requirement → Design → Code → Test. (Ensures everything required is built).
- Backward Traceability: Test → Requirement → Business Goal. (Ensures no "Gold Plating" / unnecessary features).
RTM Template
| Req ID | Description | Source (Stakeholder) | Business Goal | Design Doc | Test Case ID | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR-01 | Guest Checkout | Marketing VP | Increase Conv | DD-Checkout | TC-001, 002 | Implemented |
| FR-02 | Apple Pay | CEO | Mobile Strategy | DD-Payment | TC-005 | Approved |
| FR-03 | 3D Secure | Compliance | Legal Reqs | DD-Security | TC-010 | Tested |
Quality Checklist (INVEST)
For User Stories:
- Independent
- Negotiable
- Valuable
- Estimable
- Small
- Testable
Handling Validation Issues
- Ambiguity: "System must be fast."
- Fix: "System must load in < 2s."
- Conflict: Stakeholder A wants Blue, B wants Red.
- Fix: Facilitate negotiation or escalate to Sponsor.
- Incompleteness: Missing error states.
- Fix: Ask "What happens if this fails?"
Output
- Validated Requirements Package: Clean, approved docs.
- Sign-off Artifact: Email or digital signature approving the scope.
- Updated Traceability Matrix.
Tools
- Jira (Linking Stories to Epics/Tests).
- Excel/Lark Base (RTM).
- Confluence/Lark Docs (Approvals).