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 |
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| Conventional Requirements Model Flaw Misses REAL Business Requirements.pdf | 158.75 KB |
Automated Teller Machine Example
Me again.
Its at this point where one should be aware what the first four letters of 'Analyst' spell...
Robin, you offer an ATM requirements example in your book:
START OF EXCERPT
"...describe an ATM's typical business or user requirements.
Table 3.2: Typical ATM Requirements
Require customer to insert card.
Read encrypted card number and ID data from magnetic stripe.
Require customer to enter PIN (personal identification number).
Match entered PIN to calculated PIN or PIN on file.
Accept envelopes containing deposits or payments.
Dispense cash in multiples of $10.
Display selected account balances.
Transfer indicated amounts between customer's designated accounts.
Issue printed receipts.
Return customer's card.
Then what is Table 3.3 describing?
Table 3.3: Another Set of ATM Requirements
Provide secure, confidential access to banking services at time and location convenient to customer.
Confirm identity of customer.
Enable customer to perform ordinary bank transactions himself/herself quickly and accurately.
Provide customer documented evidence of the transactions."
END OF EXCERPT
You describe the first table as being System Requirements, while the second table describes Business Requirements. I agree, but as stated the Business Requirements could also be met by Internet Banking.
I know you are trying to illustrate a difference here, but this is tricky ground (and fightin' words for some); and your follow-up example of adding loan applications to the ATM being a change to system requirements but not to the stated business requirements, it feels a little disingenuous.
I do know that, based on the discussion so far, I need to get to the Problem Pyramid in your book; in the meantime, would using that approach have defined what was (and wasn't) an 'ordinary banking transaction' in the above example?
David Wright
Member, IIBA
"The Devil is in the Details." ...attribution unknown