Skip to main content

Does your app have requirements?



Sometimes I think I should simply have an automated link to Eric's blog because in most cases, whenever he writes something as he just did with Requirements, it ends up being something that everyone, including those in Project Management and software development, should read.



I especially like "The only way we ever know that a
feature absolutely must be in the product is when one of our Sales Guys calls
up and tells us that he already promised it."



Especially valuable is his explanation of what a spec should be, could be and usually really is.











Powered by ScribeFire.

Comments

Tod McKenna said…
In the past, I used to work off of a worksheet of 'features' to be added to the next release of the software. These were not necessarily functional requirements but more like general ideas.

A lot of hours were wasted on prototype/iterate cycles as I attempted to get the 'new feature' to look and feel like what the client (and my boss) wanted.

Today, (and to answer your question) I always use a requirements document. The document is non-technical and is usually drafted by business owners (not engineers). I find that forcing everyone (read: the business owners and managers) to think hard about a new feature up front can save engineers and quality staff many many hours of work. Even for small projects, a requirements document can be very handy.

I recommend creating a special page that lists each stakeholder with a space for a signature. The project will only get a green light once all stakeholders sign and date. Any change to the requirements after that point will require a special change request.
May 16, 2007 at 9:47 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Merry Christmas

Whether you celebrate now, have already celebrated your past holiday, are planning to, or not, I hope you find yourself surrounded by family and those you love during this holiday season and are able to remember fondly those who are not with you. We often find ourselves buried in work, or too distracted by other problems, to share and remember a few moments with those closest to us. So many of us are separated by huge distances, we often find it easier to focus on those who are out of arm's reach yet so easy to connect with online, instead of those who are right beside us. So do yourself a favour, put down the keyboard (stylus, mouse, etc) and spend that time. I know I will. Merry Christmas. Powered by ScribeFire .
4 comments
Read more

Programmers vs. Developers vs. Architects

I received an email this morning from Brandon Savage 's newsletter. Brandon's a PHP guru (works at Mozilla) but his newsletter and books have some great overall perspectives for developers of all languages. However, this last one (What's the difference between developers and architects?) kind of rubs me the wrong way. Either that, or I've just missed the natural inflation of job descriptions. (maybe, it's like the change in terminology between Garbage man and Waste Engineer or Secretary and Office Administrator) So maybe it's just me - but I think there's still a big difference between Programmer, Developer and then of course, architect. The key thing here is that every role has a different perspective and every one of those perspectives has value. The original MSF create roles like Product Manager, Program Manager, Developer, Tester, etc - so every concept may pigeon hole people into different roles. But the statements Brandon makes are often distinction...
11 comments
Read more

From Writing to AI: the pattern repeats itself

When I was ten years old, my dad bought a computer and, thanks to an advertising supplement in a Superman comic I read, it was a TRS-80. A month later, he dragged the entire family (my mom and brother were not the most enthusiastic) to a class at Radio Shack teaching how to use microcomputers. At the time, I understood why my mom wasn’t that excited: the computer was yet another gadget in the house. But today I find it fascinating. My mother went to Vassar in the 50s. She learned how to type — not a common skill at the time — but it opened doors. Her ability to communicate effectively led her to a career in adult education and later communications work with the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). This isn’t a nostalgia post. Today, the ability to use artificial intelligence, be it through Copilot or simply writing the right prompt, is becoming a critical skill. But is it really that novel? In the 1500s and 1600s, the printing press gradually made reading accessible beyond cler...
Post a Comment
Read more