Conventional Requirements Model Flaw Misses REAL Business Requirements
by Robin F. Goldsmith, JD
A fundamental flaw in the widely-held conventional model of requirements creates much of creep and other requirements difficulties. This flaw involves misunderstanding of the nature and role of REAL business requirements. The term “REAL” relates to requirements in two ways. The first way is widely recognizable and is represented in lower-case. People think they know what the requirements are and then learn differently and must revise their requirements definition. Thus, the “real” requirements are what one ends up with, as opposed to what one may have thought initially.
The second use of “REAL” warrants distinguishing with upper case because it represents breakthrough awareness that REAL requirements are business requirements, which are in business terms and are what must be delivered to provide value.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Conventional Requirements Model Flaw Misses REAL Business Requirements.pdf | 158.75 KB |
Much said, but little agreement
I must admit to only scanning the previous posts,need to re-read them all, but here are a few short interjections to this conversation:
1) Sometimes the business says their requirement is "Solve my Problem". Where do you go from there?
2) Sometimes a product or solution come first, which is then utilized for business gain. What business had a requirement for the telephone? Radio? even all the computers from Eniac to the laptop?
I am still going through Robin's book again, may have more to say later.
This also reminds me of reviewing a white paper on Profesy, which spoke to first defining 'business needs' from which requirements (for a system) can be generated. Is this the same thing?
David Wright
Member, IIBA
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.." ...Upton Sinclair