Beyond Requirements: Seeing the System Before Solving the Problem

Business Analysts are often asked to define requirements for problems that have not yet been fully understood.

Yet many failed projects are not caused by poor requirements — they are the result of hidden interactions between people, processes, technology, policies and organisational structures. This session explores how Systems Thinking can help Business Analysts move beyond documenting needs to understanding the behaviour of the systems they are trying to change. Through practical examples, interactive modelling techniques and lessons from software delivery, attendees will learn how to uncover feedback loops, identify leverage points and facilitate conversations that lead to better decisions, more resilient solutions and greater business impact.

Key Takeaways

• Learn how to apply Systems Thinking to understand complex business problems before defining requirements.
• Identify feedback loops, dependencies and unintended consequences that traditional analysis often misses.
• Discover practical facilitation techniques that help stakeholders build a shared understanding of complex systems.
• Leave with simple tools that can be applied immediately to improve workshops, requirements discovery and transformation initiatives.

About the Speaker

Ayesha Bagus is the Head of People at Khanyisa Real Systems (KRS), where she works at the intersection of systems thinking, software delivery and organisational transformation. With a background in law, people and team engagement, she helps organisations navigate complexity by bringing together people, process and technology.