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.
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| Conventional Requirements Model Flaw Misses REAL Business Requirements.pdf | 158.75 KB |
Recognizing the Concept, and another thought or two...
"Requirements? I don't need no stinkin' Requirements!"
Sorry, just had to get that one in somewhere...
I don't think as as Business Analysts that we should feel unique in company's having trouble getting the Requirements concept. There are a multitude of other approaches, techniques and methods that are being ignored too,from whatever initiates what we do, to delivery of the end result, whatever that is. A lot of companies don't test, as other posts have indicated, for example. As BA's we may indeed feel some level of responsibility at 'getting it right' up-front, because of that maxim that errors caught sooner are cheaper to fix.
As for Robin's book, I have found support for my earlier comment that what most us do who belong to this site is information system requirements. In chapter three, Robin differentiates business requirements from system requirements, and cites Wieger's 'Software Requirements" as 'best-selling book" on the subject.
Now, arguments aside about 'system' not being the same as 'software', I think we can cede Mr. Goldsmith his definition of Business Requirements in terms of them not being System Requirements.
Overall, I still like this article, it is a 'good read'; but now I return to the book...
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