Requirements Triage

Requirements Triage is a prioritization technique inspired by medical triage, where it is used to determine the order in which patients are treated based on the severity of their conditions. In the context of project management and business analysis, Requirements Triage involves evaluating and categorizing project requirements to decide which ones should be addressed first, which can be delayed, and which may be deferred or eliminated due to resource constraintsThe process recognizes that it's often impractical or impossible to implement all desired requirements within the project's time frame, budget, or scope. By systematically assessing each requirement's relative importance and feasibility, the team can focus on delivering the most critical and valuable functionalitiesKey steps in Requirements Triage include:1. **Collection**: Gathering all requirements from stakeholders, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of needs and expectations2. **Evaluation**: Assessing each requirement based on criteria such as business value, legal or regulatory necessity, technical feasibility, cost, risk, resource availability, and alignment with strategic objectives3. **Categorization**: Grouping requirements into priority levels, often using categories like 'Must-Have', 'Should-Have', 'Could-Have', and 'Won't-Have' (similar to MoSCoW prioritization), but with an emphasis on constraints and practical deliverability4. **Decision-Making**: Engaging stakeholders in discussions to agree on which requirements will be included in the project scope, which will be postponed, and which may be excluded5. **Communication**: Documenting and communicating the prioritization decisions and their rationale to all stakeholders to manage expectations and ensure alignmentRequirements Triage is especially useful in fast-paced projects, projects with fixed deadlines (timeboxed), or when dealing with scope creep. It helps prevent project overload, reduces the risk of project failure due to overcommitment, and ensures that limited resources are allocated to the highest-priority requirementsChallenges in Requirements Triage include managing stakeholder expectations, handling conflicts of interest, and making tough decisions that may disappoint some stakeholders. Successful triage requires strong leadership, clear communication, and a collaborative approach to decision-makingBy applying Requirements Triage, organizations can enhance project focus, improve efficiency, and increase the likelihood of delivering a product that meets the most critical needs of the business and its customers within the available constraints.