Requirements
Every design project encompasses several Tasks, their related Use Cases and the many Business Rules that define them.
We capture that info in the Business Requirements.
Things to Do
Describe "what is". Refer to existing norms and standards
when appropriate.
Things to Avoid
Avoid telling "how to". Make no reference
to specific buttons, dialog boxes or other on-screen controls.
Identify the "WHY"
Overview
The first section provides an overview of the structure of the Functional Requirements document itself, the contents of the rest of the document, how it is organized and its intended audience.
Ownership: Product Manager, Client, Market Specialist, Business Analyst
Background
This section defines the environmental conditions that have shaped the product. These may include:
- History
- Market Forces
- Business Case
- Legacy Issues
- Competition
- Perceived customer motivation
Purpose and Scope
This section provides a general description of the product. This may include:
- Name of the product to be produced (version )
- Perquisites and dependencies on previous products
- Target audience
- Anticipated impact
Reference Materials
Scope
This section is absolutely critical to the product development process, as it provides all Project Team members with a common ground description and context for the product, the environment, the business case, the critical issues and the major players.
Ownership: Product Manager, Market Specialist, Business Analyst
- Product Functions
- Product Perspective
- User Characteristics
- User Interface
- General Constraints and Guidelines
- Assumptions, Dependencies and Risks
For example : Marketing
Business needs
Please describe what you want to accomplish, as a business, and your criteria for success. (Edit the examples below as appropriate. Add items, as needed.)
Priority |
Immediacy |
Goals |
Tools |
Metrics for Success |
|
|
Identify potential customers |
“pre-qualification” form (required fields / contact info) |
Name, Company, Phone Number |
|
|
Push marketing materials |
Ability to print |
# of “print page” clicks on marketing collateral |
|
|
Generate customer phone calls to sales force |
On-site phone listing |
# of phone calls to Sales Desk generated by website |
|
|
Visitor self-qualification |
“pre-qualification” form (optional fields / qualification info) |
Business info, volume |
Customer needs
Please identify your customers and visitors, their likely agenda, and what they want to accomplish. (Edit the examples below as appropriate. Add items, as needed.)
Who |
Profile |
Goal |
Tasks |
Priority |
Business Opportunity |
Existing customer |
Break out customer by business line or market size? |
Speedy access to Mortgage service |
Quick sign-on for existing customers |
|
Login to legacy site |
Self-directed visitor |
Describe their agenda? |
Does CSFB offer viable solutions to my needs? |
Directed Search for info |
|
Sign up I need to talk to a sales rep |
Casual visitor |
Why did they come? |
Learn about CSFB’s Mortgage services |
Info retrieval |
|
Print out materials Call Me |
Brand Strategy & Positioning
What is your overall strategic objective? Does the Brand reflect that?
Do customers recognize the service brand more than the company brand?
Customers
What are typical customer relationship development stages?
What is our value proposition?
Marketing Synergy
Are there partnerships/cross-selling?
Describe offline Marketing initiatives. Can they be integrated with online?
Critical success factors
Please rank the importance of these marketing objectives (describe in detail, if appropriate).
Objectives |
Rank Rank |
Catch up with the competitors’ online presence |
|
Gain new clients by targeting specific NEW segments of client population |
|
Generate more inquiry phone calls to Sales Desk due to the information/data on the website |
|
Get more qualified leads/customer contacts |
|
Understand customer needs |
|
Distribute marketing materials |
|
Provide information about specific products |
|
Focus visitor attention on competitive advantage(s) |
|
Focus visitor attention on particular service(s) |
|
|
|
Other? Please specify |
|
Functional Requirements Content
This section contains a description of the detailed requirements that will directly affect the design of the software being developed, depending on the type and complexity of the system being developed.
Processing Requirements
Ownership: Development Manager, Technical Architect, Client
- Inputs
- Processing
- Outputs
Performance Requirements
Design Constraints & Benchmarks
Standards Compliance
Ownership: Interface Architect, Technical Architect, Business Analyst
- Report Formats
- Naming Conventions
- Accounting Procedures and Audit Tracing
Hardware And Software Limitations
Ownership: Technical Architect
Technical Interface Requirements
Human Interface Requirements
Security
Development
Product Support & Maintenance
Document Checklist
When all is said and done, we still need a reality check...
Does the document conform with the Guidelines?
Is there an understanding of the problem to be solved?
Are the requirements complete?
Are all functional requirements completely defined?
Are the requirements correct?
Are the requirements consistent?
Are all requirements clear and unambiguous?
Are the requirements feasible?
Are there adequate verification and acceptance criteria?
Are there sufficient quality requirements?
The UX Practitioner is "a Business Analyst with Design Skills"