3.3 Analysis, Prioritization, Conflict Resolution

After elicitation, the raw material is messy: duplicates, contradictions, solution guesses, hidden assumptions, impossible deadlines, and different stakeholders optimizing for different outcomes.

Requirements analysis turns that raw material into decisions the team can act on.

Analysis work

Good analysis asks:

• Is this a problem, a solution, a constraint, or a preference?
• Which stakeholder goal does it support?
• What assumption must be true?
• What happens if we do not build it?
• Can it be sliced smaller?
• What risk would we reduce by doing it early?

This is where many projects become healthier. Not because every conflict disappears, but because conflict becomes named.

Prioritization is multi-dimensional

Business value matters, but it is not enough. A requirement may deserve early attention because it reduces technical risk, unlocks other work, satisfies a date constraint, protects users, or prevents irreversible architecture decisions.

Common dimensions:

• Value.
• Risk reduction.
• Urgency.
• Effort.
• Dependency.
• Learning value.
• Failure cost.

Conflict resolution

Do not hide conflict inside vague language. Write it down.

A useful conflict note includes:

• The competing requirements.
• Stakeholders and affected users.
• The tradeoff being made.
• Options considered.
• Decision owner.
• Review trigger if evidence changes.