Business Analysis Excellence Framework

Core Framework: The TRACE Model

Traceability | Requirements | Analysis | Collaboration | Execution

🎯 Lesson 1: Master Traceability as Your Foundation

Why It Matters

40% of project failures stem from poor requirements traceability. Every requirement without a clear source or destination is a risk.

The Three-Layer Traceability Practice

Layer 1: Source Traceability (Where did this come from?)

• Link every requirement to: stakeholder interview, workshop output, document, or business objective
• Tag with: date captured, source person/team, context
• Never accept a requirement that appears "from nowhere"

Layer 2: Dependency Traceability (What connects to what?)

• Map requirement relationships: depends-on, conflicts-with, enables, constrains
• Identify circular dependencies early
• Use visual mapping (not just spreadsheets)

Layer 3: Forward Traceability (Where does this go?)

• Link requirements → design → implementation → test cases → user acceptance
• Track status at each stage
• Enable instant impact analysis when changes occur