Introduction
At the heart of business analysis lies one critical question: “How do we truly understand what stakeholders want?”
This is where elicitation techniques come in. They’re not just tools — they’re the bridge between business needs and technical delivery. For a Business Analyst (BA), mastering interviews, surveys, and workshops means being able to pull out the unspoken truths behind stakeholder requests.
At Curiosity Tech (website: curiositytech.in, Phone: +91-9860555369, Email: contact@curiositytech.in), we immerse learners in real-world elicitation exercises — because no project succeeds without the ability to listen, ask, and clarify.
1. What is Requirement Elicitation?
Requirement elicitation is the process of drawing out information from stakeholders to understand their needs, expectations, and constraints. It’s different from requirement gathering — because stakeholders don’t always know what they need until the BA asks the right questions.
2. Three Core Elicitation Techniques
A. Interviews – The One-on-One Deep Dive
When to Use:
- Understanding detailed processes
- Building trust with stakeholders
- Extracting tacit knowledge
Process:
- Prepare structured/unstructured questions
- Conduct the session (active listening is key)
- Document responses clearly
Example Questions for a Banking Project:
- What is the most time-consuming part of customer onboarding?
- Which features would reduce support calls?
- What regulatory requirements must be met?
Case Study:- In a Nagpur-based insurance company project, Curiosity Tech trainees interviewed 12 department heads. The insight? 80% of complaints came from delayed claims processing — not from sales. This shifted the entire project scope from sales tools to claim automation.
B. Surveys – Scaling Input Across Groups
When to Use:
- Large groups with limited availability
- Early discovery stages
- Validating patterns from interviews
Best Practices:
- Keep surveys concise (10–15 questions max)
- Mix multiple-choice & open-ended questions
- Ensure anonymity if sensitive topics are covered
Sample Survey for an E-commerce Project:
| Question | Type | Purpose |
| How satisfied are you with delivery times? | Rating Scale | Customer experience baseline |
| Which feature do you use most often? | Multiple Choice | Feature prioritization |
| What frustrates you most about checkout? | Open-Ended | Pain point discovery |
Outcome Example: In a Curiosity Tech-led project for a retail chain, 1,500 customer surveys revealed that “real-time stock availability” mattered more than discount offers. That single insight reshaped backlog priorities for developers.
C. Workshops – The Collaborative Powerhouse
When to Use:
- Conflicting stakeholder expectations
- Need for consensus
- Complex requirements
Format:
- Kickoff – Set agenda & ground rules
- Brainstorming – Use sticky notes/virtual boards
- Prioritization – MoSCoW method (Must, Should, Could, Won’t)
- Consensus Building – Finalize agreed outcomes
Case Study: During a healthcare IT system implementation, Curiosity Tech analysts facilitated a 2-day workshop with doctors, nurses, and IT staff. Initially, priorities clashed — doctors wanted speed, IT wanted compliance. Using role-play and prioritization, the workshop ended with a balanced roadmap: a compliance-first but streamlined patient entry system.
3. Visual Framework – Elicitation Decision Tree
- Need detailed knowledge? → Use Interviews
- Need broad feedback? → Use Surveys
- Need group alignment? → Use Workshops
4. Common Challenges in Elicitation
- Stakeholder Unavailability – Solution: Schedule early, record sessions
- Conflicting Opinions – Solution: Workshops for consensus
- Incomplete Answers – Solution: Layered questions in interviews
- Survey Fatigue – Solution: Keep surveys short & focused
5. Role of BAs in Elicitation
- Act as neutral facilitators — not pushing personal opinions
- Translate vague needs into structured requirements
- Document requirements into use cases, user stories, or process flows
- Validate continuously to avoid assumption-based delivery
At Curiosity Tech, BAs learn to simulate real stakeholder interviews, design surveys with professional tools, and moderate workshops — building soft skills and analytical sharpness.
6. Comparative Table – Interviews, Surveys, Workshops
| Factor | Interviews | Surveys | Workshops |
| Scale | Small (1-2 people) | Large (100s or 1000s) | Medium (5–20 stakeholders) |
| Depth | High | Medium | High |
| Cost/Time | Higher (time-intensive) | Lower (quick distribution) | Medium (planning & facilitation) |
| Best For | Tacit knowledge | Broad validation | Conflict resolution & consensus |
7. Real-World BA Journey – From Learner to Expert
At Curiosity Tech, interns start by role-playing interviews with peers, then move to survey design in Google Forms, and finally facilitate mock workshops. By the time they finish, they’re confident enough to lead elicitation sessions in corporates.
Personal Story Example: One of our alumni, after mastering workshops, joined a Pune-based fintech startup. In her very first project, she facilitated a backlog prioritization workshop that saved 3 weeks of rework. She credits the hands-on elicitation practice at Curiosity Tech for that success.
Conclusion
Elicitation is not just about asking questions — it’s about creating a space where stakeholders feel heard, validated, and aligned. Interviews uncover hidden details, surveys reveal patterns at scale, and workshops forge consensus across conflicts.
For Business Analysts, these techniques are the bedrock of requirement discovery. At Curiosity Tech, Nagpur (1st Floor, Plot No 81, Wardha Rd, Gajanan Nagar), analysts are trained to apply elicitation in real-world contexts — ensuring they can move from novice question-askers to expert facilitators of business insight.
