What happens in practice

From need to realization

User stories are often drafted based on discussions with stakeholders, during which the focus quickly shifts to what needs to be built. This is understandable, as stakeholders typically think in terms of solutions to the problems they encounter. As a result, the step involving the investigation and analysis of the problem sometimes receives less attention. The risk here is that solutions may seem logical but ultimately fail to contribute optimally to the objective.

At the same time, user stories play an important role within Agile teams. They form the basis for the backlog, support sprint planning, and help structure the work.

However, that is precisely where the risk lies. The focus can shift toward delivering user stories, when the ultimate goal should be to deliver value. After all, a team can successfully deliver all the stories, yet users may still encounter the same problems. Or functionality may be developed that is rarely used because the actual need was not sufficiently investigated.

The Importance of Analysis

This is where the Business and Information Analyst plays a key role.

The power of analysis lies not in describing a solution, but in understanding the problem. By asking probing questions about goals, pain points, processes, and underlying needs, we gain insight into what is really going on. Only once it is clear what problem needs to be solved and what value that will create can we determine which solution is most appropriate.

User stories can be a valuable tool in this process. Not as a substitute for analysis, but as a way to translate an analyzed problem into concrete development tasks. They add the most value when used:

• As a tool to help structure the conversation
• As an expression of an underlying need;
• As part of a broader context of goals, processes, and stakeholders

In that situation, user stories help guide development without losing sight of the actual need.

Conclusion

User stories are a useful tool in Agile development. However, their value depends heavily on how they are used.

When user stories focus primarily on describing solutions, there is a risk that teams will implement functionality without first giving sufficient thought to the underlying problem. The focus then shifts from value creation to delivery.

The question, therefore, is not how well a user story is written, but how well the underlying problem is understood. After all, a perfect user story delivers no value if it solves the wrong problem. Perhaps, then, we should spend less time perfecting user stories and more time understanding the problems behind them.

Would you like to learn more about this topic? Please contactWendy Groven-Hogenboom, Business and Information Analyst at Valid.