1. How to create software requirements

2. Part 1 What are requirements and why do we have them?

3. Requirements are a sort of contract

4. between the client

5. and the project team.

6. The project team needs to determine the specific tasks for the project.

7. To start the project team writes down draft requirements.

8. Each requirement needs to start with: “The system will ….”

9. Each team member will go to VISTA and create at least 5 to 7 separate requirements inside the Module Requirement Discussion

10. In Vista go to the Home page then go to “Team Discussion” then “Module Requirement Discussion” (if you do not see this please contact Prof. Bernal)

11. Please create 5 requirements for your team project. Start with simple draft requirements in a separate threads

12. This is a required Participation Grade item of 20 points. Please create 5 different requirements for your team project.

13. Review the requirements already posted so that you do not duplicate! After you have posted your requirements, read and give advise to ten to fifteen other team member's requirements.

14. Check back frequently, and when someone gives you advise about your requirement, please take it into consideration and rewrite your requirement in the reply.

15. After a requirement has been reviewed by three different team members – then the requirement could be approve. A requirement can not be approve without some editting!

16. Once you have two members give you approval - you are done with your requirements.

17. Continue to help all your team members until all requirements are approve for the team.

18. Requirements come in two main flavours.

19. AgileTraditional

20. They look something like this;

22. Requirements are the way we (project people)

23. articulate what the client (business people)

24. … want to see out of a new software product.

25. to see out of

26. Requirements are not

27. typically what we want

28. to see in a software package.

29. to see in

30. Requirements are what the system wants to achieve

31. and why it is important.

32. Part 2 Reading requirements

33. (By the way, the secret to this is all in the preparation.)

34. Remember these?

36. Step 1

37. Study the Ch. on requirements.

38. Step 2

39. Schedule a team meeting

40. Meeting goal: Team Project Requirements

41. All members prepare their requirements in sticky notes

42. Now add the things you do that are (a) important, and (b) not in your KPIs

43. Tasks that are reported on Important things not in usual task of the system Req # 1 Req # 2 Req # 3 Req # 4 Goal # 1 Goal# 2

44. Step 3

45. Write down all the major problems the new system wants to overcome

46. and attach them

47. to your list of tasks and important things (goals)

48. Req # 1 Staff daily operations Req # 1 Staff daily operations Req # 2 Available Rides Req # 2 Available Rides Req # 3 Financial Rewards Req # 3 Financial Rewards Req # 4 Pending Rides Req # 4 Pending Rides Goal# 1 Happy Customers Goal# 1 Happy Customers Goal# 2 Easy joining the club Goal# 2 Easy joining the club Staying on Budget with unexpected expenses Staff attrition too high Customer satisfaction heading south Quality of service inconsistent Low membership High volume of needed rides with low drivers

49. Step 4

50. Drop your problems into an important / urgent prioritisation grid

51. Important + Not urgent Not important + Not urgent Important + Urgent Not important + Not urgent

52. Important + Not urgent Not important + Not urgent Important + Urgent Not important + Not urgent Staying on Budget with unexpected expenses Staff attrition too high Quality of service inconsistent

53. (Projects are expensive and complicated enough without loading up small- fry issues)

54. Only keep the important issues

55. Important + Not urgent Not important + Not urgent Important + Urgent Not important + Not urgent Staying on Budget with unexpected events Staff attrition too high Customer satisfaction heading south Quality of service inconsistent

56. Step 5

57. Draw a circle

59. Write down a short description of the project’s goals in the circle

60. Solve world hunger

61. Now write your important problems and issues around the circle

62. Solve world hunger Staying on Budget with unexpected events Staff attrition too high Customer satisfaction heading south Quality of service inconsistent

63. Link up the project’s goals with your problem areas

64. With a description of how the project should be helping

65. Customers are fed Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs Staying on Budget with unexpected events Staff attrition too high Customer satisfaction heading south Quality of service inconsistent Solve world hunger Staff want to help

66. Projects won’t connect with all your problems

67. Solve world hunger Staying on Budget Staff attrition Customer satisfaction Quality of service Staff want to help Customers are fed Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs ? ?

68. (That’s a good thing)

69. (Overly large projects are too complex and usually fail)

70. Step 6

71. Take your tasks and other important responsibilities

72. &

73. take the links

74. between the project’s goals and your problems

75. and

76. Make them headings

77. Staff want to help Customers are fed Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs KPI # 1 KPI # 2 KPI # 3 KPI # 4 Not KPI # 1 Not KPI # 2

78. Give them a shorthand code

79. Staff want to help Customers are fed Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs KPI # 1 KPI # 2 KPI # 3 KPI # 4 Not KPI # 1 Not KPI # 2 A B C D E F G H I

80. Now you are ready

81. to read those requirements

82. and assess

83. how the project will affect you

84. and your business unit.

85. Let’s revisit those steps:

86. 1.Have the draft & initial requirements 2.Focus on key objectives of the project 3.Identify problem areas of the project 4.Prioritize the problems 5.Identify the links between the project goals and the problems 6.Set up a code to track requirements against what’s important to the client

87. Step 7

88. Read each requirement statement

89. At the end of each statement

90. Attach the code for each problem or goal you have

91. And then rate the requirement

92. on it’s ability to satisfy the project

93. (good or bad)

94. When you complete the document you’ll have notes

95. On everything that is relevant to you

96. And you’ll also have

97. Lot’s of requirements statements

98. that have no relevance to you

99. Now you can focus

100. on what is important.

101. And you can see

102. how the project’s requirements

103. will affect the client.

104. There is one last thing.

105. Step 8

106. Go back to your diagram

107. that links the project

108. to your goals and problems.

109. Solve world hunger Staff want to help Customers are fed Funding is adjusted to accommodate new costs Staying on Budget with unexpected events Staff attrition too high Customer satisfaction heading south Quality of service inconsistent

110. Last Part The role of the client

111. The client is a ‘stakeholder’ to a project

112. But what is a stakeholder?

113. It simply means they have a ‘stake’ in what the project is trying to deliver.

114. The project might make their life easier

115. or harder

116. or make little or no difference.

117. Either way

118. they are a

119. stakeholder

120. and they have to

121. read

122. and understand

123. and agree to

124. A set of ‘requirements’

125. because their signature

126. means they understand

127. what has been written down

128. and that their particular needs

129. and priorities

130. have been included

131. sufficiently.