Problems
Budget
Express the budget for the system in money or available resources.
The requirements must not exceed the budget. This may constrain the number of requirements that can be included in the product.
If it is not realistic to build a product within the budget, then either the client is not really committed to building the product or does not place enough value on the it. In either case it should be considered whether or not it is worthwhile continuing.
Environment
Identify characteristics or features of the physical workplace so that the product is designed to compensate for any difficulties.
For example, the workplace is noisy, so audible signals might not work.
The product should overcome whatever difficulties exist, however a redesign of the workplace could be considered as an alternative to having the product compensate for it.
Implementation
Describe the technological and physical environment into which the product must fit. The environment places design constraints on the product. Provide enough information about the environment for the designers to make the product successfully interact with its surrounding technology. Operational requirements are derived from this description. Such constraints include automated, mechanical, organisational and non-human adjacent systems. Diagrams are a good means to illustrate separate devices or people (processors). Arrows can be drawn to identify interfaces between processors.
All the component parts of the current system, regardless of their type, should be included in the description of the implementation environment.
Linked Systems
Linked Systems are applications that are not part of the product but with which the product will collaborate. They can be external applications, commercial packages or pre-existing in-house applications.
Provide information about design constraints that are caused by using linked systems. The characteristics, behaviour and interfaces of these linked systems are design constraints. By describing or modeling these linked systems, potential problems of integration can be highlighted.
Solution
Identify constraints on the way the problem must be solved, i.e., constraints that must be part of the final product. The client, customer or user may have design preferences. If these preferences are not met then the solution is not acceptable.
For example:
- The product must use the current 2-way radio system to communicate with the drivers in their trucks.The product must use the Windows XP operating system.
- The product must be a hand-held device.
People who have experience or exposure to a piece of technology tend to see requirements in terms of that technology. This tendency leads people to impose solution constraints for the wrong reason and unnecessary constraints appear in a specification. If these constraints are imposed, there may not be enough creative freedom to come up with the best solution to the problem. The solution constraints should only be those that are absolutely non-negotiable. In other words, however the problem is solved, a particular technology must be used. Any other solution would be unacceptable.
Timeframe
Identify critical times and dates that have an effect on product requirements. If the deadline or windows of opportunity is short, then the requirements must be kept to whatever can be built within the time allowed. For example, the organisation may be starting up a new factory and the new product is needed before production can commence; or dates that part of the product must be available for testing.
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