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Requirements That Drive The Value Chain

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COURSE LENGTH: 1 Day
 REGISTRATION FEE: See pricing below
 VENUES: Public, Client Site, Web Meeting



 

Requirements Are Eventually About Your Products!

A well defined problem is half solved!  Understandably, it's difficult for most product managers, designers and engineers to articulate problems and needs outside the context of their products, and this is where over-featured products, scope creep, mid-stream design changes and poor usability begin.

This workshop focuses on developing clear problem/opportunity definition at all levels, without regard to products.  You'll then learn how to complement each need with the appropriate level of product or technical information to close the loop.  Everyone from executives to engineers will get it!  It's never been easier.  Templates and hands-on exercises get you off to a fast start.

The ZIGZAG Requirements Value Chain Framework is an outcome driven model that not only creates better performing products, it's a vehicle for transferring knowledge from the market research, product definition, design and development phases to the front lines of the organization to improve the self-sufficiency of sales, marketing, services and support so the product team can focus on the next set of priorities with fewer disruptions.


Program Agenda

  1. Learn the roles, responsibilities, skill sets, personality types and deliverables that make for world-class requirements definition.
  2. Learn how to define macro level market trends and requirements that drive the strategy of your target customers.  It's the ultimate "why" behind new products or features that map directly to CEO level issues both internally and externally.
  3. Learn how to use market trend information to drive your product roadmap and align with both strategic and operational objectives and requirements of your target customers.  This approach ensures products have broad market appeal and value at all levels. 
  4. Learn how to define business requirements (business scenarios) at an operational level that support the strategic initiatives of your target customers.  Product capabilities and features complete the desired solution definition.  This approach ensures every product feature has a clear business objective with operational and strategic value. 
    Learn how to create scenario-based user stories/use cases including what-if scenarios that drive your functional requirements and ultimately product usability.  Learn how to storyboard these scenarios to ensure clear and explicit user requirements are understood by engineers.  The benefit - when your users perform tasks efficiently using your products, departmental and operational objectives are met and collectively contribute to your customer's strategy.  Your products take credit.
  6. Learn how to create functional specifications from use cases and user stories that detail how a product works from a user perspective.  Think of them as a precise set of instructions for engineers that eliminate (OK, minimize) surprises when new products or features are first unveiled. In other words, good functional specifications give you the exact products and features you expect.
  7. Learn how to use requirements to extablish priorities and drive scope decisions to avoid unnecessary stops and starts during a project.
  8. Learn how to use the content from each phase of the Requirements Value Chain to transfer knowledge from the product team to marketing, sales, services and support so the product team can focus on the next set of priorities with fewer disruptions.

 

The Requirements Value Chain at Work

The five phases of requirements represent the domain expertise of your organization from top to bottom and play a monumental role in defining successful products and services.  The same requirements also serve as the primary vehicle for transferring domain expertise to marketing, sales, service and support to ensure self sufficiency and product success on all fronts. 

Translation: The product team can be more focused on the next set of priorities with fewer disruptions, helping your organization to outrun the competition.  

 

Registration Fees

Course Calendar & Registration  
 

Comments(4)
I found the course to be extraordinarily insightful and innovative and came away with excellent tools to assist in not only my personal success, but also the success of my company. The best course I have taken in getting to the core issues as relates to product management and marketing.
Judy Morrison, "Project Manager", n/a, 02.08.2010
Great training! I really think you are focusing on the correct methodologies for creating and communicating requirements.
Peter Scharnell, "Product Mgr., silverPOP", 08.31.2009
I have an entirely new outlook on how to target user tasks and requirements, and the best part is that I can start using these principals today.
Mark Edwards, "Business Analyst, TSYS", 08.31.2009
I found the class and the requirements framework to be a valuable tool in establishing and communicating the value of requirements throughout the product lifecycle and throughout the organization.
Chris Tyner, "Product Manager, TSYS", 08.31.2009
 
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