Requirement analysis: spotting problems
On this page 3 headings
During requirements analysis, we analyse the gathered requirements to form a clear understanding of the exact customer requirements and to weed out any problems. Problems arise because requirements come from various stakeholders and different sources.
THINK What kind of problems or issues can arise from the gathered requirements? Pause and write down your responses before reading further.
Ambiguous requirements
“Independent sellers need to manage their inventory”: manage could mean add a product, modify a price, delete products… Developers build based on their own interpretation, so we must ensure the idea of what is required is the same from the user’s and the developer’s perspective.
Inconsistent requirements
Independent sellers want payment credited every week; the banking system allows only credit every two weeks. Developers must resolve this, e.g. tell sellers this is what can be provided; once people know the constraints, you can build.
Incomplete requirements
Some aspects were overlooked because neither customer nor developer could imagine all details. “Track orders”: delivered orders, orders in transit, or returned orders? The developer needs this before proceeding.
REMEMBER Analysis of requirements is essential to identify ambiguities, inconsistencies and incomplete requirements. Then we are in a better position to start designing the system.