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Entries Tagged as 'Requirements'

Fool Proof…or should It Be?

September 23rd, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Makers of systems might consider an old, old list when considering the -ilities or non-functional requirements. “This system is fool proof!” said one person. The other person replied, “I know some pretty big fools.”—paraphrase from something written somewhere at sometime. Considering the “fool proof” system brought to my mind a few questions […]

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Tags: General Systems Thinking · People · Requirements · Systems

The Database and the Floor

May 2nd, 2019 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Take care how we state the requirements for a database. A spot on the floor often meets the requirements. I attended a meeting recently wherein a senior official with a long, impressive title stood in front of a crowd of several hundred persons and spoke at length (three hours). A major part […]

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Tags: Analysis · Communication · Design · Requirements

Last In, Most Important

October 4th, 2018 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We often use a simple yet silly algorithm for ranking requirements. It is easy. I guess that is why we use it. We have a lot of work to do. We have more work than resources. Hence, we have to rank requirements to work the more important ones first. Well, maybe we […]

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Tags: Accountability · Choose · Decide · Requirements

Eye’n Fly’n and Buy’n

September 6th, 2018 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips A reminder of a basic from systems engineering. There are several baselines we use most of the time regardless of intent or realization. I once worked in an organization that (1) flew machines and (2) practiced systems engineering. One of the favorite phrases of persons there is the title of this post: […]

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Tags: Baseline · Design · General Systems Thinking · Requirements · Systems

Systems Engineering and Social Media

November 23rd, 2017 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips The recent rash of misuse and abuse of social media reminds us of that old, boring practice called systems engineering and limiting systems to do only what they are supposed to do. Recent news reports point to all sorts of “misuse” and “abuse” of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. These […]

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Tags: Engineering · General Systems Thinking · Requirements · Systems

Write the User Manual First

September 4th, 2017 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I review an old, and seemingly forgotten, technique for building systems in which we fully describe what a system will be and do. Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away… Maybe not that long ago, but still…there was a technique for building systems wherein we wrote the user manual […]

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Tags: Communication · Design · Expectations · Requirements

Design Success! (or is it failure?)

February 15th, 2016 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips If a system designed to last a few months last 12 years, is that a success or a failure? A recent story hailed the success of the NASA Mars rover. The rover was “designed” to last a few months, but is still going after 12 years. Wow! What a great design and […]

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Tags: Design · Engineering · Government · Requirements · Systems

Last-In, First-Out Requirements

April 13th, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I review a requirements-management scheme that indicates no requirements management. I once worked in an organization that built systems. Everyone worked very hard and very long hours. There was one problem: We never delivered a single system Why not? The problem was with managing requirements. Each month we held a requirements meeting. […]

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Tags: Management · Requirements · Systems

Two Unspoken Requirements

November 24th, 2014 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Many projects make no sense. They are driven by two unspoken yet paramount requirements. I have seen many projects that were driven by two unspoken but paramount requirements: The project must cost a certain amount of money—no more and no less You have to look like you are trying to do something […]

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Tags: Culture · Expectations · Magic · Management · Requirements

Great Ideas and Those Who have Them

October 20th, 2014 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips A great idea is merely a requirement; it is not a design. The thinker of the great idea is important, but so is everyone else involved in the endeavor. Allow me to start with a blunt statement: Steve Jobs did not design the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone, and nothing else that […]

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Tags: Design · Ideas · Requirements