Applying the ABA RLC

Applying the ABA RLC on Your Business Transformation Efforts

Using the ABA RLC Manager Workbook

What is the ABA RLC Manager? The ABA RLC Manager is a workbook-based tool that provides a step-by-step approach to deliver any business transformation.
Why a Workbook? Nearly every organization has access to a spreadsheet tool like Microsoft Excel. Because workbooks are widely available and generally understood, the RLC Manager is packaged as a series of worksheets within a workbook.
The ABA RLC Manager contains the ABA RLC framework, a valuable tool for illustrating the requirements effort to stakeholders. It provides a clear overview of progress through the phases of the Requirements Life Cycle and demonstrates alignment with other life cycles, including the business change life cycle, project management life cycle, and solution development life cycle (agile or incremental). Additionally, it highlights the use of key architectural models and how they support each phase of the Requirements Life Cycle.
Designed to be self-contained, the RLC Manager can be renamed and used as a template for any business change proposal. Whether addressing technology, operational improvements, or both, it serves as a structured starting point for analysis.
The RLC Manager workbook functions as a step-by-step guide, allowing you to adjust the rigor of analysis based on project complexity and risk. Smaller, low-risk changes may require fewer steps, while more complex projects demand a more thorough approach. Each step is supported by template worksheets and technique guides, offering "just-in-time" education to help conduct analysis effectively. These guides provide supplemental training in areas like elicitation or business process analysis, complementing the concept training efforts in these areas.
To streamline the process, the ABA RLC Manager automates data population from prior analysis activities, saving time and ensuring completeness and accuracy in requirements information.

Customizing the ABA RLC Workbook

The ABA RLC Manager workbook template is ready to use out of the box without modification and has already been implement "as is" by many organizations.

However, many organizations choose to customize the ABA RLC to integrate with their own templates, terminology, and delivery approach. Thanks to its structured design, the RLC Manager workbook is easy to modify—you can adjust step descriptions, add or remove steps as needed, and replace template tabs with templates used by your organization.

That said, there are a few important recommendations before making changes:

Use the template as-is for at least one to three change efforts before customizing it. The workbook is built on lessons learned from numerous business changes across multiple enterprises, making it a refined and mature tool. Customizing too quickly may disrupt how the ABA methodology enhances requirements quality and maintains architectural artifacts.
Preserve links between workbook sections. These linkages save time and ensure traceability throughout the requirements process.
Track any customizations you make. Consider adding a customization tab to document modifications and their purposes. This will help you manage updates effectively as the template evolves over time.

By following these guidelines, you can tailor the workbook to your needs while preserving the benefits of the ABA methodology.

Using the ABA RLC Manager with Architecture and Requirements Applications

A common question is whether the ABA RLC Manager is necessary—or even compatible—if your organization already uses architecture or requirements management applications.

The short answer is "yes". The ABA RLC Manager workbook is designed to complement enterprise applications, not replace them. Its primary function remains the same: providing a step-by-step guide to drive effective change. Instead of using the built-in templates to for a specific step, the RLC Manager can be customized to integrate with the applications you use to deliver that step.

Subscribers receive periodic updates to ensure they have the latest version. If you haven’t received an update, check your spam folder or download the latest version from the Download ABA RLC Manager Page on this site.