Thirteen Elements and Five-Step Method for B2B Product Requirement Analysis

Introduction

The excerpt is taken from Winning B‑end (2nd edition) , introducing a self‑created "Thirteen Elements Five‑Step" methodology for deep demand analysis, aimed at helping product managers uncover true user needs and design effective solutions.

Case Study: Unsuccessful Demand Analysis

A dialogue between a junior product manager (Guodong) and a sales operations colleague (Wandou) illustrates repeated failures in improving the CRM message‑center reminder feature for lead “drop‑off” alerts. Despite multiple iterations—adding earlier reminders, displaying time‑to‑drop‑off, grouping messages, and adding task markers—the enhancements see little adoption.

Figure 6‑2: Current message center window.

Figure 6‑3: Message center with classification.

Figure 6‑4: Message center with to‑do marking.

Figure 6‑5: Message center with to‑do classification.

Why Demand Analysis Fails

The article lists four common pitfalls: the product manager’s lack of business knowledge, the stakeholder (Wandou) not being the true source of the need, insufficient analysis of the request, and missing basic product design principles such as separating to‑do management from passive notifications.

Thirteen Elements Five‑Step Method

The method covers five core steps, each addressing specific elements (see Table 6‑1). The steps are:

Analyze related roles (Proposer, User, Affected).

Understand basic scenario (Scenario, Frequency).

Mine true motives (Core demand, Intensity).

Diverge more scenarios (Horizontal alternatives, Vertical complements).

Design product solution (Existing solutions, Functional requirements, Non‑functional requirements).

Table 6‑1 (first part):

Step

Element

Step 1: Analyze related roles

1. Proposer

2. User

3. Affected

Step 2: Understand basic scenario

4. Basic scenario

5. Frequency

Continuation (second part):

Step

Element

8. Actual value

Step 4: Diverge more scenarios

9. Horizontal alternatives

10. Vertical complements

Step 5: Design product solution

11. Existing solutions

12. Functional requirements

13. Non‑functional requirements

Applying the Method to the CRM Case

Step 1 – Role Analysis

Proposer: frontline sales staff (Wandou is a messenger). User: frontline sales staff who will use the reminder feature. Affected: the same sales staff, as the pain point is missed follow‑ups.

Step 2 – Basic Scenario

Scenario reconstruction follows the formula: Person + Time + Place + Cause + Process + Result. The article provides a narrative of a salesperson forgetting a lead that is about to drop off, illustrating the need for tighter reminders.

Step 3 – True Motive

Using the 5‑Why technique, the analysis uncovers deeper issues such as inefficient lead allocation, lack of data‑driven assignment, and the “privilege” of manual distribution.

Step 4 – Divergent Scenarios

Horizontal alternatives include automated lead distribution, mixed manual‑auto strategies, and rule‑based drop‑off timing adjustments. Vertical complements suggest integrating task aggregation, daily planning aids, and priority‑based worklists.

Figure 6‑8: Partial user story map of telephone sales core scenarios.

Step 5 – Design Solution

The final design proposes a unified “To‑Do Panel” that aggregates daily new leads, contacts to make, and imminent drop‑off leads, each linked to the lead list. This consolidates the fragmented message‑center improvements into a single actionable workspace.

Figure 6‑9: New To‑Do Panel.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The five‑step, thirteen‑element framework helps product managers move beyond surface requests, uncover root causes, and generate comprehensive, business‑aligned solutions. While the method is time‑consuming, repeated practice builds a habit of thorough demand analysis, ultimately leading to higher‑impact product decisions.

Author: Yang Kun (PM Yang Kun)