Re: Software requirements writers?

[JIMCHEVAL <JIMCHEVAL -at- AOL -dot- COM>]

In a message dated 97-12-27 16:53:05 EST, jgrey -at- MADE2MANAGE -dot- COM writes:

<<  I =
 want the requirements writer to be involved in all of these meetings to =
 capture not only the agreed-upon requirements, but also to capture the =
 discussions so that s/he can understand the business and technical =
 issues that underlie the requirements.  So, I'm not open to a =
 telecommuting situation. >>
Sounds reasonable enough for the work.  However, I'm dubious about the job
title.

It seems to me what's really needed here is a business analyst.  One reason I
left that profession was specifically because of the very real need to sit in
on meetings and conduct numerous interviews.

I wonder if others on the list would agree with me that this is one of those
fuzzy areas where 'technical writer' and 'analyst' overlap.  There are
certainly TW's who do analyses.  But my impression is that 'business analyst'
usually connotes a higher level of responsibility (not to mention pay).

Personally, the distinction I would draw is that a TW takes raw information
provided by someone else and makes it clear and concise.  An analyst has to
take more responsibility for gathering the underlying info and drawing complex
conclusions from it (which is what I did in the function, sometimes radically
changing the design of new systems in the process.)

I put this forth in full awareness that some TW's blithely take on the latter
role.  But I do think that, strictly speaking, the distinction exists.

Jim Chevallier
LA/NYC
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