2.4 The Requirements Gathering Process

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The first step is to define the problem. Normally, management perceives a problem with a particular work process that supports or is an integral part of accomplishing the organization's mission. It may be taking too long to process requests, action items may not receive proper attention, or there may be too many mistakes being made in processing. The problem should be documented in a manner that clearly defines it for everyone involved in finding a solution. Sometimes the problem may be that the process has been done a particular way for so long that it is time to see if there is a better way of doing it. In SEP, the Project Objective Statement is used to accomplish this goal.

2.4.1 Evaluate the Work Process

The next issue that needs to be addressed is whether the organization should be performing the function/work process where the problem, actual or potential, has been identified. The first question to ask is whether the function needs to be performed at all. Does it contribute to the accomplishment of the organization's primary mission? The next question is whether the function should be performed by your organization. Could this function be combined with another function to increase the efficiency and/or effectiveness of the organization? Would it be more appropriate for another organization to perform the function? Would it be more appropriate to outsource the function? The answer to all of these questions should be documented thoroughly.

The second issue that needs to be addressed is whether the work process can be performed more efficiently or more effectively. Many systems were developed to support work processes before some of the current technology was available. The work process needs to be reexamined with a view toward utilizing the latest technology to develop a system that will allow management to restructure the work process to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. The work process also needs to be examined to determine if the conditions that existed when the process was established have changed enough to reexamine the utility of the current process. The results of that analysis should be documented. The work process analysis can range from a quick review of a simple work process to a full Business Process Reengineering (BPR) project.

2.4.2 Define the IT Requirements

After a decision has been made to continue to perform the function in the original organization and the work process has been evaluated, the next step is to define the IT requirements for the current or proposed work process. Defining the requirements has been done for many years using haphazard approaches. SEP is intended to formalize this process and help organizations integrate it into their SDLC activities. Requirements must be clearly and fully defined. Some of the factors used to determine information requirements are as follows:

• Information that is currently being received in the organization

• Information that is needed, but is not currently being received

• Information that needs to be provided to or obtained from other organizations

• Sources that are available to obtain the needed information

• Information relationships and outputs (reports)

• Requirements for validation, integrity, accuracy, completeness, and reliability of the information to be processed or stored

• Quantity, timeliness, location, and format of information required

• Requirements for accessibility, privacy, and security of the stored information

• Functional processing requirements

Detailed guidance will be provided throughout this chapter as we proceed to explain the SEP. The lack of such detailed guidance may be part of the reason why requirements have not been defined well in the past. Next, we elaborate on the User Requirements Document (URD), which is where all of the information cited previously needs to be placed to document actions and decisions made during the course of meetings and discussions between the user community and the project team.

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