End-to-End Requirements Case Study
Part of the Business Analyst Roadmap
In short
This is the piece hiring managers open first. One problem, taken from 'what's wrong?' to a signed-off requirements document, shows you can do the whole BA job, not just parts of it.
The flagship portfolio piece — take a real or realistic problem through the full arc from elicitation to a complete BRD/FRD, showing your full requirements process end to end.
Think of it like this
Planning a family wedding
A wedding planner starts with what the family wants, sorts the must-haves from the wishes, writes a detailed plan for caterers and decorators, then checks everything on the day. Your case study walks the same arc for a business problem.
Watch it happen
Your build plan, start to finish
1/5Pick a realistic problem, like a college canteen with long lunch queues. Write a one-paragraph problem statement and goal.
The big ideas
What you need to know
A clear problem and goal
Open with the pain, who feels it and how you'll measure success. Everything else should trace back to this.
Real elicitation evidence
Include interview questions, notes and a survey summary. It proves you talked to people, not just imagined them.
A complete requirements document
Scope, in and out. Functional and non-functional requirements. Stories with acceptance criteria. Assumptions and open questions.
Traceability
A simple matrix linking each requirement to a business goal and a test shows real BA discipline.
See it in code
Walk through the code
1ID | Requirement | Goal | Source | Test2FR-01 | Student can pre-order by 11:00 | G1 | Interview 2 | TC-013FR-02 | Pay by UPI before confirming | G1 | Manager | TC-024FR-03 | Staff see orders by pickup slot| G2 | Staff shadow | TC-035NFR-01 | Order page loads in < 3 sec | G1 | Survey | TC-041/3Columns: what, why, where from, and how you'll prove it works.
A slice of a requirements traceability matrix. Every row links a requirement to a goal, where it came from, and how it will be tested.
Save yourself the pain
Common mistakes
Oops
Inventing all the stakeholder input in your head.
Do this instead
Talk to a few real people, even friends who use the system. Real quotes make the case study believable.
Oops
Submitting a 40-page document with no summary.
Do this instead
Add a one-page overview at the front: problem, approach, key requirements and outcome.
Your mission
Milestone 1: problem and plan
Quick check
Why include a traceability matrix in this case study?
Go deeper
- 1Extend your Phase 3 BRD practice project into a fuller case study with elicitation notes.
- 2Include your elicitation approach, key requirements, and how you validated them.
- 3Present it as a narrative: problem, process, outcome, not just a static document.
More projects at this stop
Process Improvement Case Study
Business Case & ROI Analysis Project
Data Analysis & Dashboard Project
Agile Backlog Management Case Study
Stakeholder Management Case Study
Portfolio Website or Document Showcase
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