1. 10 Steps to Better Requirements
Larry Fellows
Compliance Automation, Inc.

2. Standish Group Survey - 1995
17% On Time & On Budget
33% Cancelled (Cost $81B)
50% Challenged (Cost $59B)
Average Challenged Project:
189% Over Budget
222% Behind Schedule
Only 61% of originally specified features delivered.

3. Standish Group Survey - 2002
34% On Time & On Budget
15% Cancelled (Cost $81B)
51% Challenged (Cost $59B)

4. A Winning Product
On Time On Budget Required Functions Right Quality

5. Step 1 – Define the NEED

6. Step 2 – Identify the Stakeholders
Engineering
Designers
Software
Logistics
Operations
Testing
Manufacturing
Service
System
Marketing
Customer
Reliability
Developers

7. Stakeholder Knowledge
Common Knowledge
Shared Knowledge
Unique Knowledge

8. Create Common Vision Common Knowledge Unique Knowledge
Shared Knowledge
Unique Knowledge

9. Step 3 – Recognize the Drivers
Higher Level Requirements
Cost
Regulations
Specification
Standards
Existing systems & processes
User
expectations
Schedule

10. Step 4 – Gather Operational Concepts

11. Step 5 – Define External Interfaces
Your System
database
keyboard
display
Power
other software
test hardware
Physical
other hardware
command
status
command & data

12. Communication problems

13. Step 6 – Create a Simple Format
Who
What

14. Step 7 – Avoid Ambiguous Terminology

15. Step 8 – Define Requirement Rationale

16. Step 9 – Capture Verification Method

17. Step 10 – Use a Standard Template

18. No Surprises But they always are. People who write bad requirements
should not be surprised
when they get bad products
But they always are.
Ivy Hooks