Discovering Real Business Requirements for Software Project Success -- Contents -- Introduction -- Introduction xv -- REAL requirements xviii -- Applicability to various methodologies xviii -- Objectives xix -- Who needs to know xix -- What's in it for you xx -- Origins and structure xxi -- What's not in this book xxiii -- Thanks xxiv -- References xxiv -- 1 Value up-front -- Preaching to the choir 1 -- Definition 2 -- Requirements impact 6 -- What it's worth 9 -- Reconsidering iterative development 11 -- Is XP an eXception? 11 -- Mind traps that hinder improvement 12 -- Jolting awareness 13 -- Proactive Testing 14 -- CAT-Scan Approach 14 -- References 16 -- 2 The "regular way" -- User review (test method #1) 18 -- Management review (test method #2) 18 -- Supervisory review (test method #3) 19 -- Peer review (test method #4) 19 -- QA review (test method #5) 19 -- Exercise: Review requirements 20 -- Analysis of the regular way 21 -- Why requirements are hard to test 22 -- Other weaknesses of the regular way 23 -- Testing one's own work 24 -- Strengthening the review 25 -- Use formal technical review (test method #6) 26 -- Some key additional points about reviews 28 -- Predefine topics, guidelines, and specifics to examine (test method #7) 29 -- References 30 -- 3 Real requirements -- Ann Analyst's definition of requirements 31 -- Are they business requirements? (test method #8) 33 -- "As is" versus "should be" 33 -- Format and contents 35 -- What versus how 36 -- Business versus system requirements 36 -- Automated teller machine example 38 -- Level of detail 40 -- A few more mythical distinctions 43 -- Who defines the requirements? 44 -- Make users responsible 45 -- Three necessary elements 46 -- How much is enough? 47 -- References 48 -- 4 Evaluating requirements form -- Clarity (test method #9) 52 -- Form versus content 52.

Two quick distinctions 53 -- Deliverable whats (test method #10) 54 -- Testable (test method #11) 55 -- Reviewable (test method #12) 56 -- Itemized (test method #13) 57 -- Traceable (test method #14) 57 -- Ambiguity (test method #15) 58 -- Consistent, known usage of terms (test method #16) 60 -- Identifies assumptions (test method #17) 61 -- Stated in the positive (test method #18) 61 -- Identifies objectives (test method #19) 61 -- Identifies major functions and limits (test method #20) 62 -- Identifies business rules (test method #21) 62 -- Alternative consequences defined (test method #22) 63 -- Magic words (test method #23) 63 -- Complete (test method #24) 64 -- References 65 -- 5 Discovering real requirements -- Why we say users don't know what they want 68 -- Requirements gathering 69 -- Like a detective story 70 -- Focus on value 71 -- "Should be" model 72 -- Real and presumed processes 73 -- Some process pitfalls 75 -- Improving the process 76 -- References 77 -- 6 Problem Pyramid -- The challenge 79 -- Problem Pyramid structure 80 -- Example: Reuse repository 82 -- Guidelines for evaluating the problem definition 83 -- Effects of applying the guidelines 84 -- Exercise: Prepare your own Problem Pyramid 85 -- Example: Social service software 86 -- Example: Web Site 88 -- Example: Opportunity 90 -- Exercise: Review your own Problem Pyramid 90 -- 7 Applying the techniques -- Exercise: Review additional requirements 92 -- Analysis of Ann™s updated requirements 93 -- Identifying the real problem 93 -- ElecTech case Problem Pyramid 95 -- 8 Data gathering -- Why gather data? 97 -- Surveys and questionnaires 98 -- Literature searches 99 -- Reviewing documents 100 -- Prototyping 101 -- Focus groups 103 -- Joint application development 103 -- Observing operations 104 -- Learning to do the work 105 -- Interviewing 105.

Interview techniques and tips 108 -- Advanced interview skills 110 -- Personality types 111 -- ElecTech case interviews 113 -- Exercise: Analyze real interviews 113 -- Gathering data in conjunction with interviews 122 -- References 123 -- 9 Formats for analyzing requirements -- Data versus information 125 -- Exercise: Identifying what we don't know 126 -- Sorting, summarizing, segmenting, and showing 127 -- Structuring business rule language 128 -- Cause-and-effect graphing 129 -- Decision trees 131 -- Decision tables 131 -- Entity relationship diagram 132 -- Data models 133 -- Organization chart 134 -- Responsibility matrix 135 -- Flowchart 136 -- Data flow diagram 138 -- Reference 140 -- 10 Key to completeness -- Importance of customer view 143 -- Many manifestations of silos 143 -- Updating the ElecTech Problem Pyramid 145 -- 11 Formats for documenting requirments -- Generally agreed-upon contents 148 -- Generic unstructured individual requirements 149 -- IEEE Std. 830-1998 for Software Requirements Specifications 149 -- Pigeonholing 151 -- Nonfunctional requirements 151 -- Use cases 151 -- Seven guidelines for documenting hierarchical itemized deliverables 155 -- Hierarchical itemized business deliverable whats that contribute to value (test method #25) 158 -- Exercise: Define top-level requirements 158 -- Scope that doesn't creep 161 -- High-level conceptual design 161 -- Iterative requirements negotiation without analysis paralysis 162 -- Estimating time and effort to implement the requirements 164 -- Detailed requirements 164 -- References 166 -- 12 Finding overlooked requirements -- Users, customers, and stakeholders (test method #26) 169 -- Exercise: Identify stakeholders 170 -- Quality dimension: Quality of design (test method #27) 170 -- Quality dimension: Quality of conformance (test method #28) 170.

Quality dimension: Quality of performance (test method #29) 171 -- Strawman technique 171 -- Addressing quality factors (test method #30) 173 -- Aligning strategic, management, and operational needs (test method #31) 174 -- Technology requirements versus design (test method #32) 175 -- Including commonly overlooked deliverables (test method #33) 176 -- Interfaces with other systems (test method #34) 176 -- Third-party access and auditing (test method #35) 177 -- Conformance to laws and regulations (test method #36) 177 -- 13 Checking requirements accuracy and completeness -- Importance and criticality (test method #37) 179 -- Clarifying application feature quality requirements (test method #38) 180 -- Guidelines and conventions (test method #39) 182 -- Engineering standards (test method #40) 182 -- Balancing conflicting requirements trade-offs (test method #41) 186 -- Work out business rules (test method #42) 186 -- Determine rules regarding corrections (test method #43) 187 -- Identify data retention and purging (test method #44) 187 -- Identify historical data archiving and access (test method #45) 187 -- Map to manual procedures (test method #46) 187 -- Anticipate parameters of likely changes (test method #47) 188 -- Review test cases (test method #48) 188 -- Prototype (test method #49) 189 -- Simulate workload performance (test method #50) 189 -- Requirements walkthroughs (test method #51) 190 -- Joint application development (test method #52) 190 -- Defining acceptance criteria (test method #53) 191 -- Match against an independent mini definition (test method #54) 192 -- Match against an independent ficannedfl definition (test method #55) 192 -- Independent expert validation (test method #56) 193 -- Exercise: Your independent expert review 193 -- Two independent reviews (test method #57) 193 -- 14 Measuring proof of the pudding.

Cost/benefit analysis (test method #58) 195 -- Challenge cost and benefit estimates (test method #59) 197 -- Define system requirements (test method #60) 198 -- Define use cases for product usage (test method #61) 198 -- Trace addressing of business requirements (test method #62) 198 -- Monitor requirements changes (test method #63) 199 -- Monitor subsequent defects (test method #64) 200 -- Summary 200 -- Appendix -- About the Author -- Index -- Artech House Computing Library.