+audio overweight or anorexia

IIBA Meeting 2010 Copyright © the Atlantic Systems Guild Limited 1

IIBA Meeting July 1, 2010

Suzanne Robertson Principal

The Atlantic Systems Guild

www.volere.co.uk www.systemsguild.com


Requirements: too thin or too fat?

IIBA Meeting 2010 Copyright © the Atlantic Systems Guild Limited 3 CoCoCoCopypypypyririririghghghght t t t © © © © ththththe e e e AtAtlalalalalalalalalantntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntnticicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicicic S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S Sysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysysystetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetetemsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsmsms G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G Guiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiuildldldldldldldldldldldldldldldldld L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L L Limimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimimititititititititedededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededededed 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Too little or too much? • Every project has requirements

• How do we avoid unnecessary requirements without missing necessary ones?

• How do we minimise the work (meetings, documents, reviews, decisions) involved in communicating and managing necessary requirements?


Five influences on a balanced diet

1.  Project Charter

2.  Prioritisation

3.  Statutory Need

4.  Organisational Health

5.  Focus on Content


Project Charter •  A written constitution that authorises the project, and

describes its objectives and constraints

•  This is the highest level requirement 1

Success criteria

InvestmentOpportunities

Benefits

ScopeResources

Projectcharter


...Project Charter

Pattern: Loud and Clear

The project’s goals are clearly and repeatedly articulated

Ref: Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies: Patterns of Project Behaviour. DeMarco, Hruschka, Lister, McMenamin, Robertson and Robertson. Dorset House New York, 2008


Prioritisation

•  Prioritise early – as soon as you have something consistent to prioritise

•  Encourage early exposure of conflict and need for resolution

2ManufacturerTechnologySpecification

TechnologyDescription

UpdatedTechnologyProfile

NewTechnology

Internet

EntertainmentControllerProduct

TelevisionDVDPlayer

Viewer/Listenerusing ECwebpage

Speakers

Viewer/Listenerusing ECController

EntertainmentOptions Entertainment

Choice

DVDCommandSignal

DVDStatus

TVCommandSignal

TVStatus

SpeakerCommandSignal

SpeakerStatus

CD Status

CDCommandSignal

ControllerTechnologyProfile

NewTechnologyPrompt

CD PlayerTechnologySpecification


NewTechnology


DVD/CDPictures

andSounds

Viewer/Listener

Manufacturer

The Work ofControlling

EntertainmentTechnology

Scope of investigation Scope of product


...prioritisation

• Which requirements contribute most to the project charter?

• Prioritise continually, whenever you go down a level of detail

• Record prioritisation decisions in the waiting room or on your backlog

Availabletechnology/arc

hitecture

The work to besupported

ProductUse Case

Constraint

ProductUse Case

Response to aBusiness event

Technologicalrequirements

Scope ofrequirementsinvestigation

BusinessUse Case

BusinessUse Case

Require-ment

Require-ment

Require-ment

Require-ment

Require-ment

Functional & Non-Functional Requirements

............

............

............

............

............


3Statutory Need?

•  Some industries have documentation and procedural review rules/laws/standards that must be met e.g. Medical, Aerospace, Defence.......

•  Documentation before building

•  But – some organisations fall into a habitual way of doing things

•  Every translation and duplication makes your requirements fatter


Organisational Health

4Pattern: Babel

The project fails to develop a consistent language understood by all

members of the development team and stakeholder community Ref: Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies: Patterns of Project Behaviour. DeMarco, Hruschka, Lister, McMenamin, Robertson and Robertson. Dorset House New York, 2008


Words and meanings •  The names used in models, scenarios and atomic requirements are

defined in the dictionary

• Define the terms progressively rather than waiting until the end

•  Use the dictionary as a way of sharing and reusing knowledge

ManufacturerTechnologySpecification



NewTechnology

Internet

EntertainmentControllerProduct

TelevisionDVDPlayer

Viewer/Listenerusing ECwebpage

Speakers

Viewer/Listenerusing ECController

EntertainmentOptions Entertainment

Choice

DVDCommandSignal

DVDStatus

TVCommandSignal

TVStatus

SpeakerCommandSignal

SpeakerStatus

CD Status

CDCommandSignal

ControllerTechnologyProfile

NewTechnologyPrompt

CD Player

PUC Number PUC Name BUC Number

1.1 (see PUC scenario 1.1) Find Device Specs 1 (see BUC scenario 1)

Requirem

ent

Number

Rqt Type Description Rationale Fit Criterion Other Related PUCs

EC001 Functional The product shall prompt the

Viewer/Listener for the

manufacturer name, device name

and model number.

Need to let the Viewer/Listener

know what is required in order

to set up a new device.

See definitions of device


and model number in Terms and

Definitions

EC002 Functional The product shall accept the

device manufacturer device name

and device model from the the

Viewer/Listener

Need to know which new

devices to add to the

controller's technology profile.




Definitions

EC003 Functional The product shall search the web

to find the matching manufacturer

name/device type/model

number

Need to look for device

specifications.




Definitions

EC004 Functional The product shall confirm to the

Viewer/Listener that a matching

device has been located.

Need to ensure that the device

located is the one intended by

the Viewer/Listener.




Definitions

EC005 Functional The product shall get the device

specification for the matching

device.

Need for the Entertainment

Controller to have the device

specification.


specification in Terms and

Definitions.

EC006 Look and Feel The product shall be recognisable

as an Easylife product.

To promote the Easylife brand. Viewer/Listeners are able to

recognise the product as an

Easylife product the first time they

use it.

All other PUC's with a direct

interface to the

Viewer/Listener

EC007 Usability The product shall make it easy for

the Viewer/Listener to enter the


and model number

To avoid annoying the

Viewer/Listener and wasting his

time.

The Viewer/Listener can tell the

product the manufacturer name,

device name and model number

within n secs without any training

or need to consult instructions.

EC008 Performance The product shall not cause any

physical harm to the

Viewer/Listener.

The product shall pass safety

certification tests A, B & C.

All other PUC's with

functionality that involves

contact between the

electronic controller and the

Viewer/Listener.

EC009 Performance The product shall find the device

specification quickly.

To avoid annoying the

Viewer/Listener.

The product finds the device

specification within n secs of the

Viewer/Listener telling the product

the device manufacturer name,

device name and model number.

EC010 Operational The product shall run on the most

popular Internet browsers.

To be compatible with the

Viewer/Listener's environment.

All product's functions allocated to

the internet must work as specified

using all the browsers specified in

the Easylife Browser compatibility

list version 10.

All other PUC's with

functionality that is allocated

to the internet.

EC011 Maintainability The product shall be able to

recognise device specifications for

future new devices.

New devices are continually

being released on the market.

Any new device that satisfies the

definition of device specification in

Terms and Definitions shall be

recognisable by the product.

EC012 Security The product shall only allow the

authorised Viewer/Listener to

change the controller technology

profile.

To avoid annoying the owner of

the controller.

Any change made to the controller

technology profile is proved to be

made by the authorised

Viewer/Listener.

EC013 Cultural The product shall be usable by

Viewer/Listeners who do not

speak English.

To expand the market for the

entertainment controller.

A representative sample of

Viewer/Listeners who do not speak

English are able to set up a

controller technology profile within

n time units.

EC014 Legal The product shall only allow the

authorised Viewer/Listener to

access the technology profile.

To protect the Viewer/Listener's

privacy.

All access to the technology profile

must comply with the Data

Protection act.

PUC 1.1 Find Device Specs - Traceable back to BUC 1

For each new device mentioned in the New Technology:

- Prompt the Viewer/Listener to identify/provide the manufacturer/

d e v ice type/model number of the new device

- Accept manufacturer name/device type/model number from the

V iewer/Listener

- Search the web to find the matching manufacturer name/device

t ype/model number

- Confirm the match with the Viewer/Listener

- Get the device specification

TechnologySpecification


NewTechnology


DVD/CDPictures

andSounds

Viewer/Listener

Manufacturer

The Work ofControlling

EntertainmentTechnology

New Technology Details of new technology that a viewer wants to control

Device Name + Device Model Number + Manufacturer Name


Your Organisation

Org Y

Org X

Org W Org Z

P1

P2

P3

S/WS/W

H/W

H/W

S/W


...organisational health

•  Applying systems thinking across projects and the organisation

•  Project management based on reality

•  Agreement on decision making structure

•  Feedback channels


ProductScope

Designguiding

BusinessUse Case

ProductUse Case

Implement-ation UnitBusiness

relevancy

Supporting

Implem-enting

AtomicRequirement

Constraint FunctionalRequirement

TestCase

Testing

Non-functionalRequirement

Are types of

Businessresponding

Producttracing

Businesstracing

Productpartitioning

TechnologicalRequirement

SystemArchitectureComponent

WorkScope *

** **

*

** *

*

1..** *

Businessboundary

* *

1 1

1 1

1 Owning

1 *1

ProjectGoal

Stake-holder

Naming Conventions& Data Dictionary

Fact/Assumption

1..*

BusinessEvent

S

Testing

*

1

*

1

Implementing

*

*

5Focus on Content

•  Requirements content is the knowledge that you need to communicate to your stakeholders so that you can get feedback and build the solution

For more on Volere requirements knowledge model see http://www.volere.co.uk/pdf%20files/requirements%20management.pdf


Content is communicated in some form/s

•  Requirements form is the vehicles you use to communicate requirements

• prescribed documents• project phases• review cycles• models• meetings• prototypes• scenarios• conversations• or any other packaging of

the content

...focus on content


• Form vs Content

• Heavy methodologies are driven by form

• Light methodologies are driven by content

...focus on content

17 Copyright © the Atlantic Systems Guild Limited

The Murder Book

• Each item is stored chronologically as it comes to light

• Requirements analysts collect documentation, rather than write it at the end of the project.

• All items of interest are added and dated

• There is no standard format, just the collection of notes, diagrams, photos, interviews, models, stories, etc.

...focus on content

• Based on the way crime investigations build their documentation


Five influences on a balanced diet 1.  Project Charter – a common understanding

2.  Prioritisation – early and continuous

3.  Statutory Need – real or imagined?

4.  Organisational Health – terminology, sociological awareness, related project management

5.  Focus on Content– the difference between form and content

Other influences?


Other influences?


Resources

Mastering the Requirements Process second Edition. Suzanne and James Robertson. Addison-Wesley, 2006

Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies - Understanding Patterns of Project Behavior. Tom DeMarco, Peter Hruschka, Tim Lister, Steve McMenamin, James Robertson, Suzanne Robertson. Dorset House Publishing, 2008. Hanser, Germany, 2008. Winner of 2009 Jolt award. Now available as Kindle ebook

Requirements-Led Project Management: discovering David’s Slingshot. Suzanne Robertson and James Robertson, Addison Wesley, 2005

•  http://www.systemsguild.com

•  http://www.volere.co.uk


What is Volere? • A set of techniques to aid in discovery, communication and

management of business, product, and software requirements

• Books, templates, papers and web pages for guidance

• Public and in-house seminars

• Hands-on help with requirements

• Requirements assessments

• Requirements coaching

* Volere is the Italian verb to wish or to want


Provenance of Volere •  Ongoing practice and research into requirements by James Robertson and Suzanne Robertson,

systems engineers since 1970

•  1983 - formed the Atlantic Systems Guild: Tom DeMarco, Peter Hruschka, Tim Lister, Steve McMenamin, James Robertson, Suzanne Robertson

•  1984 - formalised process and data model connections and published Complete Systems Analysis

•  1995 - formalised connection between systems analysis models and business requirements and put version 1 of Volere requirements template on the web (now up to version 13)

•  1999 - published Mastering the Requirements Process to communicate experience and use of Volere

•  2005 - published Requirements-Led Project Management to communicate how requirements connect to project management

•  2006 - published Edition 2 of Mastering the Requirements Process

•  2008 - new book Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies: Understanding Patterns of Project Behaviour Download sample chapter from http://www.systemsguild.com

•  2010 – currently integrating innovation and creativity techniques into the work of requirements engineers and business analysts

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