Requirements are specifications and features for all aspects of the new
process. They do not just apply to software and hardware. Here are categories of
requirements:
1. Organization
• Staffing—number of people, education, and experience; specific skills
• Management—number of supervisors, skills and knowledge of man-
agers needed
• Support requirements —roles and responsibilities of specific support
staff required
2. Process
• Policies — rules on what and how the work is to be performed
• Procedures —specific work ow steps
3. Infrastructure
• General location
• Offices and buildings
• Voice communications
• General office layout
• Access control
• Office equipment and furniture
• Other building and space requirements
4. Networks
• Local area networks (LANs)
• Mobile communications
• Wide area networks (WANs)
• Internet and international communications
• Network interfaces
5. Hardware
• Servers
• Workstations
• Portable computers and mobile equipment
• Mainframe and minicomputers
6. General software
• Operating systems
• Utilities
• Database management systems
• Fourth-Generation Languages
• Personal computer software
• Groupware
• Electronic mail
• Internet communications (browsers, web servers, firewalls, etc.)
• Scheduling and other collaborative software
7. Application software functions and features
• Input
• Business rules
• Processing requirements
• Output
• Interfaces
• Management control
What is the form of these requirements? A good format is lists. Each list has
several columns. The first column is the requirement, the second consists of
detailed or example specifications, and the third consists of comments on the
requirement. You might comment on the importance of the requirement or
provide additional detail in the last column.
As you identify these requirements, what do you do with them? First, you
have to ensure that they are really necessary. Evaluate this by constructing
several additional tables. Begin at the transaction level . Second,
build to the work ow level. In addition you will have general
requirements that cross all transactions.
These tables will be expanded when you consider costs and benefits in the
next step. The information in the tables shows how the new process requires
these items. Any later discussion of specific requirements can then be related
back to the transactions and the work ow. Defining these requirements helps
you to validate the new process
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