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New Post 9/13/2010 6:17 PM
User is offline jason
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Specify application name in requirement ? 

 Hi,

  I'm curious what other analysts are doing with the following. I have a requirement line "The system shall do 'X' ...." and it applies to multiple systems. My question is should I specify the application name in the line like "The solution shall do 'X' in system A." and "The solution shall do 'X' in system B" or obviously I could combine them into 1 statement. Or are there better ways to handle this ? I have separate use cases for each system that refer to the single requirement right now but I was thinking of breaking them into 2 so when reading the requirements on their own it makes sense. 

 

Jason

 
New Post 9/14/2010 6:01 AM
User is offline David Wright
141 posts
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Re: Specify application name in requirement ? 

 

Strictly speaking, a requirement statement is independent of any current systems/implementations.

The fact you have mjultiple system that need to support the requirement suggests you have redundant systems, but that is not a requirements issue; the statement is the same. It will be the same if you ever want to replace all these systems with one new one.


David Wright
 
New Post 9/14/2010 8:38 AM
User is offline jason
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Re: Specify application name in requirement ? 

 I agree it should be independent but there are situations for example where you need to add a new field and it is displayed in multiple systems and maybe even updated in multiple systems. 

 
New Post 9/14/2010 10:31 AM
User is offline David Wright
141 posts
www.iag.biz
7th Level Poster




Re: Specify application name in requirement ? 

 

To me, those are design/implementation considerations.

Per your example, you have a new attribute of a data entity that will likely be implemented as a new column in an existing table*, and as a field on screens or in iterfaces or reports... Your system architecture (or the architect themselves) will need to know where that data entity is implemented today (what table), and how many applications update that table. It is a task of  impact analysis.

Sure, some business people may know what systems need to be changed, but often they only think they know, they could miss things. So business people saying "I want new field X on that system, and that other system" is not a requirement. It is a solution statement based on an unstated requirement.

So when a tech person does their functional spec, that will determine what systems/screens are impacted by the requirements.

Is it easier to do it the way you describe? May yes, maybe no, but it is certainly riskier.

(* hopefully not multiple tables too...

 


David Wright
 
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