tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526628884837213668.post9105255504962291443..comments2024-03-27T00:14:35.505-07:00Comments on Adapting and Learning: The Problem is Fixed-Scope, Not Fixed-PriceLorenzo Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551506284562303520noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526628884837213668.post-19091748832688847592013-10-03T18:46:42.273-07:002013-10-03T18:46:42.273-07:00I believe it's best to go back and understand ...I believe it's best to go back and understand what we mean by "requirements" in software development. It's usually understood as the customer/client expressing what they "require" (want or need) from the software system. This is quite misleading! In reality, customers/clients are generally not able to define/describe what they want/need, any more than they are able to describe what they want in a car (or even in a mate). Customers/clients know what their problems are, but quite often, they can't describe the solution. Thus, requirements are really a "problem that needs/wants a solution". Using Butch's example (albeit not a good one), the customer is expressing a problem in beating the competition (and thinks that a CRM app is the solution). With further analysis perhaps, the requirement can be refined to understand what it takes to beat the competition and in what specific areas. Then, only then, can solutions be formed (and verified to solve the problem). I still believe that separating the "design solution" from the "requirements" is easy, if you now how.Lorenzo Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00551506284562303520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526628884837213668.post-75082938535438886412013-01-29T16:35:49.119-08:002013-01-29T16:35:49.119-08:00The problem of separating the "design solutio...The problem of separating the "design solution" from the "requirements" has always been a complicated issue. For example, my general requirement might be "I want a really cool CRM application that will allow my sales team to beat my competition down into dirt and ground them flat". Try getting down into the "detailed requirements" without specifying a solution.<br /><br />Butch Landinginhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05721982915082873672noreply@blogger.com