Business Analyst Assistant Skill

[IMPORTANT] Use TaskCreate to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including tasks for each file read. This prevents context loss from long files. For simple tasks, AI MUST ATTENTION ask user whether to skip.

Quick Summary

Goal: Refine requirements into actionable user stories with BDD acceptance criteria and business rule traceability.

Workflow:

Extract Business Rules — Locate feature docs, extract BR-{MOD}-XXX rules, reference in stories
Investigate Entities — Load feature docs, extract domain model and query patterns
Write User Stories — Use "As a / I want / So that" format, validate with INVEST criteria
Define Acceptance Criteria — BDD format (GIVEN/WHEN/THEN), gap analysis for missing scenarios

Key Rules:

Always reference existing business rules from docs/business-features/ before creating new ones
User stories must pass INVEST criteria (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable)
Include entity context and related domain model in every story
MUST ATTENTION include story_points and complexity in all PBI/story outputs

Be skeptical. Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence percentages (Idea should be more than 80%).

docs/project-reference/domain-entities-reference.md — Domain entity catalog, relationships, cross-service sync (read when task involves business entities/models) (content auto-injected by hook — check for [Injected: ...] header before reading)

Business Analyst Assistant

Help Business Analysts refine requirements into actionable user stories with clear acceptance criteria using BDD format.

Business Rules Extraction (Project Domain)

When refining domain-related PBIs, automatically extract and reference existing business rules.

Step 1: Locate Related Feature Docs

Dynamic Discovery:

Run: Glob("docs/business-features/{module}/detailed-features/*.md") for feature docs
Or: Glob("docs/business-features/{module}/detailed-features/**/*.md") for nested features

From PBI frontmatter or module detection:

Check module field
Identify related feature from related_features list
Read discovered feature documentation

Step 2: Extract Existing Business Rules

From feature doc "Business Rules" section:

Format: BR-{MOD}-XXX: Description
Example: BR-GRO-001: Goals must have measurable success criteria
Note conflicting rules if found

Step 3: Add to User Story

Include section:

## Related Business Rules

**From Feature Docs:**

- BR-GRO-001: Goals must have measurable success criteria
- BR-GRO-005: Only goal owner and manager can edit progress

**New Business Rules (if applicable):**

- BR-GRO-042: {New rule description}

**Conflicts/Clarifications:**

- {Note any conflicts with existing rules}

Token Budget

Target 8-12K tokens total (validated decision: prefer completeness):

Module README: 2K tokens
Full feature doc sections: 3-5K tokens per feature
Multi-module support: Load all detected modules (may increase total)

Entity Domain Investigation

When refining domain-related PBIs, investigate related entities using feature docs.

Step 1: Load Feature Doc

Glob("docs/business-features/{module}/detailed-features/*.md")

Select file matching feature from PBI context.

Step 2: Extract Domain Model

From ## Domain Model section (Section 5):

Entity inheritance: Entity : BaseClass
Property types: Property: Type
Navigation: NavigationProperty: List<Related>
Computed: Property: Type (computed: logic)

Step 3: Correlate with Codebase

From ## File Locations section:

Read entity source file
Verify properties match documentation
Note any undocumented properties (flag for doc update)

Step 4: Identify Query Patterns

From ## Key Expressions section:

Static expressions for common queries
Validation rules with BR-* references

Step 5: Add to User Story

Include entity context:

## Entity Context

**Primary:** {Entity} - {description}
**Related:** {Entity1}, {Entity2}
**Key Queries:** {ExpressionName}
**Source:** {path}

This ensures implementation uses correct entities and patterns.

Core Capabilities

1. Requirements Refinement

Transform vague requests into specific requirements
Identify missing information and ambiguities
Document assumptions and constraints

2. User Story Writing

Format

As a {user role/persona}
I want {goal/desire}
So that {benefit/value}

INVEST Criteria

Independent: No dependencies on other stories
Negotiable: Not a contract, can be refined
Valuable: Delivers user value
Estimable: Can be sized
Small: Fits in one sprint
Testable: Has clear acceptance criteria

3. Acceptance Criteria (BDD Format)

Scenario: {Descriptive title}
  Given {precondition/context}
    And {additional context}
  When {action/trigger}
    And {additional action}
  Then {expected outcome}
    And {additional verification}

For Project Domain:

Reference existing test case patterns from feature docs
Use TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN} format (e.g., TC-GM-001)
Include Evidence field: file:line format

Example from GoalManagement feature:

TC-GRO-GOAL-001: Create goal with valid data
GIVEN employee has permission to create goals
WHEN employee submits goal form with all required fields
THEN goal is created and appears in goal list
Evidence: goal.service.ts:87, goal.component.ts:142

4. Business Rules Documentation

Rule Format

BR-{MOD}-{NNN}: {Rule name}
IF {condition}
THEN {action/result}
ELSE {alternative}
Evidence: {file}:{line}

5. Gap Analysis

Current state vs desired state mapping
Identify process improvements
Document integration requirements

Context Validation (Project Domain)

Before finalizing user story:

Cross-Reference Check

[ ] Business rules don't conflict with existing BR-{MOD}-XXX rules
[ ] Test case format matches existing TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN} patterns
[ ] Entity names match those in feature docs
[ ] Evidence format follows file:line convention

Documentation Links

Add to user story:

## Reference Documentation

- Feature Doc: `docs/business-features/{module}/detailed-features/{feature}.md`
- Related Entities: `docs/business-features/{module}/detailed-features/*.md`
- Existing Test Cases: See feature doc Section 15 (Test Specifications)

If conflicts found, note in "Unresolved Questions" section.

Workflow Integration

Refining Ideas to PBIs

When user runs /refine {idea-file}:

Read idea artifact
Check for module field in frontmatter
Load business feature context if domain-related
Extract requirements
Extract existing BRs from feature docs
Identify acceptance criteria using TC patterns
Create PBI with GIVEN/WHEN/THEN format
Save to team-artifacts/pbis/

Creating User Stories

When user runs /story {pbi-file}:

Read PBI
Break into vertical slices
Write user stories with AC
Ensure INVEST criteria met
Include related BRs
Save to team-artifacts/pbis/stories/

Templates

User Story Template

---
id: US-{YYMMDD}-{NNN}
parent_pbi: '{PBI-ID}'
persona: '{Persona name}'
priority: P1 | P2 | P3
story_points: 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 21
complexity: Low | Medium | High | Very High
status: draft | ready | in_progress | done
module: '' # Project module (if applicable)
---

# User Story

**As a** {user role}
**I want** {goal}
**So that** {benefit}

## Acceptance Criteria

### Scenario 1: {Happy path title}

```gherkin
Given {context}
When {action}
Then {outcome}
```

Scenario 2: {Edge case title}

Given {context}
When {action}
Then {outcome}

Scenario 3: {Error case title}

Given {context}
When {invalid action}
Then {error handling}

Related Business Rules

BR-{MOD}-XXX: {Description}

Out of Scope

{Explicitly excluded item}

Notes

{Implementation guidance}


---

## Elicitation Techniques

### 5 Whys
1. Why? → {answer}
2. Why? → {answer}
3. Why? → {answer}
4. Why? → {answer}
5. Why? → {root cause}

### SMART Criteria for Requirements
- **S**pecific: Clear and unambiguous
- **M**easurable: Can verify completion
- **A**chievable: Technically feasible
- **R**elevant: Aligned with business goals
- **T**ime-bound: Has a deadline or sprint

---

## Output Conventions

### File Naming

{YYMMDD}-ba-story-{slug}.md {YYMMDD}-ba-requirements-{slug}.md


### Requirement IDs
- Functional: `FR-{MOD}-{NNN}` (e.g., FR-GROW-001)
- Non-Functional: `NFR-{MOD}-{NNN}`
- Business Rule: `BR-{MOD}-{NNN}`

### AC IDs
- `AC-{NNN}` per story/PBI

### Test Case IDs (Project)
- `TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN}` (e.g., TC-GM-001)

---

## Quality Checklist

Before completing BA artifacts:
- [ ] User story follows "As a... I want... So that..." format
- [ ] At least 3 scenarios: happy path, edge case, error case
- [ ] All scenarios use GIVEN/WHEN/THEN
- [ ] Out of scope explicitly listed
- [ ] Story meets INVEST criteria
- [ ] No solution-speak in requirements (only outcomes)
- [ ] **Existing BRs referenced** (if domain-related)
- [ ] **TC format matches feature docs** (if domain-related)
- [ ] **Entity names use domain vocabulary**

---

## Post-Refinement Validation (MANDATORY)

**Every refinement must end with a validation interview.**

After completing user story or PBI refinement, conduct validation to:

1. Surface hidden assumptions
2. Confirm critical decisions
3. Identify potential concerns
4. Brainstorm with user on alternatives

### Validation Interview Process

Use `AskUserQuestion` tool with 3-5 questions:

| Category        | Example Questions                       |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Assumptions     | "We assume X. Is this correct?"         |
| Scope           | "Should Y be explicitly excluded?"      |
| Dependencies    | "Does this depend on Z being ready?"    |
| Edge Cases      | "What happens when data is empty/null?" |
| Business Impact | "Will this affect existing reports?"    |

### Document Validation Results

Add to user story/PBI:

```markdown
## Validation Summary

**Validated:** {date}

### Confirmed Decisions
- {decision}: {user choice}

### Concerns Raised
- {concern}: {resolution}

### Action Items
- [ ] {follow-up if any}

When to Flag for Stakeholder Review

Decision impacts other teams
Scope change requested
Technical risk identified
Business rule conflict detected

This step is NOT optional - always validate before marking refinement complete.

Closing Reminders

MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION break work into small todo tasks using TaskCreate BEFORE starting
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION search codebase for 3+ similar patterns before creating new code
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION cite file:line evidence for every claim (confidence >80% to act)
MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION add a final review todo task to verify work quality

Agent Skills: Business Analyst Assistant

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