When Developing System Requirements It Is Very Important

When Developing System Requirements It Is Very Important That They Be

When developing system requirements, it is crucial to articulate them in a manner that facilitates specific design and development steps. Poorly written requirements can lead to ambiguity, which may result in unmet stakeholder expectations. A high-quality system requirement should be clear, concise, measurable, feasible, and testable. It should precisely describe what the system must do without leaving room for misinterpretation. Conversely, requirements that lack clarity, are overly vague, or are incomplete can lead to difficulties during implementation, increased costs, delays, and ultimately, a system that does not meet user needs or stakeholder expectations.

For example, when creating a system requirement related to making a withdrawal at an ATM, a well-written requirement might state, "The ATM shall verify the user's identity through a PIN and dispense cash in denominations of $10, $20, $50, or $100 upon successful authentication, providing a printed or electronic receipt." This requirement is specific, measurable, and testable. It clearly states what the system must do, under what conditions, and what the acceptable outputs are.

In contrast, a poorly written requirement like "The ATM should give cash to the user" lacks clarity, measurable criteria, and specifics about authentication, denominations, or receipt options. Consequently, it leaves room for interpretation, which may cause implementation issues and failures to meet user expectations.

Attributes of a Solid System Requirement

Clarity and Precision

A good requirement must be unambiguous and clearly state what is expected. It should avoid vague language and be specific enough to guide development. For instance, specifying the acceptable denominations in an ATM withdrawal requirement eliminates ambiguity.

Measurability and Testability

The requirement should include criteria that allow it to be tested. If a requirement states that the system "shall be user-friendly," it is subjective. Instead, it should specify measurable criteria, like "The system shall process withdrawal requests within 30 seconds with 95% accuracy."

Feasibility

The requirement must be achievable within current technical and resource constraints. Unrealistic requirements can lead to project delays or failure.

Consistency and Unambiguous Language

Requirements should not conflict with each other and should be written using clear, consistent terminology to prevent misunderstandings.

Traceability

Each requirement should be traceable back to stakeholder needs and, later, to design, implementation, and testing activities.

Consequences of Poorly Written Requirements

Ignoring these attributes can lead to various issues, such as scope creep, increased costs, project delays, and poor user satisfaction. Ambiguous requirements may cause developers to interpret them differently, resulting in a system that fails to meet stakeholder expectations or incomplete features. For example, vague requirements like "the system should be fast" can be interpreted differently by different developers, leading to inconsistent implementation and testing challenges.

Conclusion

Developing effective system requirements is vital for successful system development. Well-written requirements serve as a foundation for design, development, and testing, ensuring the final product aligns with stakeholder expectations. Incorporating attributes such as clarity, measurability, feasibility, unambiguity, and traceability enhances requirement quality, reduces ambiguity, and minimizes the risk of project failure. Therefore, system requirements should be carefully crafted to facilitate smooth development, thorough testing, and stakeholder satisfaction, ultimately resulting in a robust and user-oriented system.

References

• Carroll, J. M. (2000). Making use: Scenario-based design of human-computer interactions. MIT Press.
• Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H., & Roth, R. M. (2015). System Analysis and Design (6th ed.). Wiley.
• Leffingwell, D., & Widrig, D. (2003). Managing Software Requirements: A Use Case Approach. Addison-Wesley.
• Pressman, R. S. (2014). Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s Approach (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
• Wiegers, K., & Beatty, J. (2013). Software Requirements (3rd ed.). Microsoft Press.
• Sommerville, I. (2011). Software Engineering (9th ed.). Addison-Wesley.
• Kotonya, G., & Sommerville, I. (1998). Requirements Engineering: Processes and Techniques. John Wiley & Sons.
• Hull, E., Jackson, K., & Dick, J. (2011). Requirements Engineering. Springer.
• ISO/IEC/IEEE 29148:2018. Systems and software engineering — Requirements engineering.
• Craig, R., & Shelley, M. (2014). Effective Requirements Practices. IEEE Software, 31(6), 17–23.