What should a business analyst do after discovering that two solution requirements conflict?

The business analyst's primary role when a requirements conflict is discovered is that of a facilitator and communicator. The first and most critical step is to inform the relevant stakeholders about the conflict. By bringing the right people together, the business analyst can facilitate a discussion, ensure all viewpoints are heard, and guide the stakeholders toward a mutually acceptable resolution. This approach ensures that the decision is made by those with the proper authority and ownership of the requirements.

A. Consulting only the sponsor may bypass other key stakeholders. Logging it as a constraint is premature as the conflict may be resolvable.
B. Performing an impact analysis is a valuable part of the resolution process, but the initial action must be to communicate the conflict to stakeholders.
C. The requirements baseline cannot be updated until the conflict is resolved and a decision has been formally approved by the stakeholders.

1. Project Management Institute. (2015). Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide. Section 4.6, p. 89. ("The business analyst is responsible for ensuring that conflicts are resolved... The business analyst facilitates communication between the stakeholders who are in conflict to help them resolve the issue.").

2. Pohl, K. (2010). Requirements Engineering: Fundamentals, Principles, and Techniques. Springer. Section 7.3.2, p. 188. (Discusses conflict resolution, emphasizing that the first step is detection and communication, followed by negotiation among stakeholders).