IntermediateSITUATIONAL
You are assigned to a CRM replacement project, and two weeks before UAT you discover that a critical integration with the billing system was never specified in the requirements. The go-live date is tied to a regulatory deadline. How would you handle this situation step by step, including how you’d re-assess scope, communicate impact, and propose options to leadership?
Business Analyst
General

Sample Answer

Situation: Two weeks before UAT on a CRM replacement, I discovered that a real‑time integration with our billing system (SAP) was missing, yet go‑live was tied to a hard regulatory deadline with $500K potential penalties. Task: Rapidly reassess scope, quantify impact, and propose realistic options. Action: Within 24 hours, I ran a mini‑discovery with billing/IT, mapped the missing flows in Visio, and defined a “must‑have vs. can‑defer” matrix. Using JIRA and impact analysis, I outlined 3 options: (1) minimal viable nightly batch integration, (2) phased go‑live by business unit, (3) full go‑live slip. I quantified each in terms of cost, timeline (+2–4 weeks), and risk. Result: Leadership chose a phased go‑live with a 10‑day UAT extension; we met the regulatory date, avoided penalties, and delivered the full real‑time API integration (via Mulesoft) in the next release.

Keywords

Run rapid impact and dependency analysis within 24–48 hours using concrete tools (JIRA, Visio, Confluence)Define and prioritize must‑have vs. deferrable integration requirements with business and ITPresent clear, quantified options (cost, time, risk) to leadership instead of a single recommendationProtect regulatory deadline via phased or interim technical solutions while planning a follow‑up release
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