What is a Requirement?

Key Definitions :

• The As-Is system is the current system and may or may not be computerized
• The To-Be system is the new system that is based on updated requirements
• The System Proposal is the key deliverable from the Analysis Phase

The goal of the analysis phase is to truly understand the requirements of the new system and develop a system that addresses them -- or decide a new system isn’t needed. The System Proposal is presented to the approval committee via a system walk-through. Systems analysis incorporates initial systems design. Requirements determination is the single most critical step of the entire SDLC.

Requirement is...

• A statement of what the system must do 
• A statement of characteristics the system must have
• Focus is on business user needs during analysis phase
• Requirements will change over time as project moves from analysis to design to implementation

Requirement Types :

- Functional Requirements

• A process the system hast to perform
• Information the system must contain

- Nonfunctional Requirements

• Behavioral properties the system must have : Operational, Performance, Security, Cultural and political.

Documenting Requirements :

- Requirements definition report

• Text document listing requirements in outline form
• Priorities may be included

- Key purpose is to define the project scope: what is and is not to be included.

Basic Steps of Determining Requirements :

- Understand the “As-Is” system

- Identify improvement opportunities

- Develop the “To-Be” system concept

- Techniques vary in amount of change

• Business Process Automation (BPA) – small change
• Business Process Improvement (BPI) - moderate change 
• Business Process Reengineering (BPR) – significant change

- Additional information gathering techniques are needed as well

Project Management

Project management is the process of planning and controlling the development of a system within a specified timeframe at a minimum cost with the right functionality. A project manager has the primary responsibility for managing the hundreds of tasks and roles that need to be carefully coordinated.

Four Key Steps in Managing Projects :

• Identifying project size
• Creating and managing the workplan
• Staffing the project
• Coordinating and controlling project activities

Identifying Project Size

Project Manager’s Balancing Act - Project Management involves making trade-offs…

Modifying one element requires adjusting the others.

Project Estimation

• The process of assigning projected values for time and effort
• Sources of estimates (Methodology in use, Actual previous projects, Experienced developers)
• Estimates begin as a range and become more specific as the project progresses

Creating The Workplan

Identifying Tasks :

• Methodology (Using standard list of tasks)
• Top-down approach (Identify highest level tasks, Break them into increasingly smaller units, Organize into work breakdown structure)

List of all tasks in the work breakdown structure, plus :

• Duration of task
• Current task status
• Task dependencies
• Key milestone dates

Tracking Project Tasks :

• Gantt Chart (Bar chart format, Useful to monitor project status at any point in time)
• PERT Chart (Flowchart format, Illustrate task dependencies and critical path)

example :

• Tracking Tasks Using Gantt Chart

• Tracking Tasks Using PERT Chart

Staffing The Project

Staffing Attributes

• Staffing levels will change over a project’s lifetime
• Adding staff may add more overhead than additional labor
• Using teams of 8-10 reporting in a hierarchical structure can reduce complexity

Controlling Project Activities

CASE Tools :

CASE Components :

Standards Examples :

• Formal rules for naming files
• Forms indicating goals reached
• Programming guidelines

Documentation :

• Project binder
• Table of contents
• Continual updating

Managing Risk :

• Risk assessment
• Actions to reduce risk
• Revised assessment

Classic Mistakes :

• Overly optimistic schedule
• Failing to monitor schedule
• Failing to update schedule
• Adding people to a late project