Chapter 15. Organizing Requirements Information

Key Points For nontrivial applications, requirements must be captured and recorded in a document, database, model, or tool. Different types of projects require different requirements organization techniques. Complex systems require that requirements sets be developed for each subsystem.

Whether expressed as user needs, a list of features, a storyboard, a set of use cases, or another format, requirements must be captured and documented. If you were the sole developer for a system on which you will also be the sole user and maintainer, you might consider designing and coding it immediately after identifying your needs. However, few system developments have such simplicity. More likely, developers and users are mutually exclusive, and stakeholders, users, developers, analysts, testers, architects, and other team members are involved. All parties must reach agreement about what system is being built.