by Asim Jalis
Requirements analysis is a process of discovery, not of
documentation. The goal is not to document known requirements,
but through a process of exploring the real needs of the users,
to discover what it is that the people really want. It is not
just communication between users and developers -- that assumes
that the users already know what they want. When the discovery
occurs it is just as new to the users as it is to the developers.
Requirements is closely tied to value proposition. When a
successful marketer figures out the value proposition of a new
product, it is frequently the case that the users did not know
the value proposition either, until it was spelled out to them.
Frequently the requirements analyst assumes that as soon as he
has documented the requirements the job is done. This analyst
does not appreciate the delicate negotiation process that must
occur between what is technologically possible and what the real
needs of the users are.
As I write this I also realize that this is probably a really
INTP way of looking at requirements analysis. People with other
attitudes towards reality might feel that it's better to set the
goals and achieve them.
