Categories
BA Articles

Ask the staff not the document

When analysing what is happening in the business, it may seem logical to review the documented processes to gain an understanding.

This may prove to be a problem as documented steps may be several steps removed from reality. 

Since they were written:

  • the steps may have changed
  • requirements may have altered
  • capabilities may have changed
  • expectation may have changed

All of these may result in what can be gleaned from the documents being skewed. Even if nothing has changed when the documents were written they may have been:

  • What should happen
  • What happens when everything goes as expected
  • Written by someone who was not directly involved

All of these add up to process documentation that may not show the process as it is now which means any assumptions based on it are not correct.

The answer walk through the process with the staff and match their experience with the documented approach this will enable to you understand if and where the seperation is and gain a clear, functional understanding of what is happening.