COST SAVING ADVICE

At the start of most web application projects the broad lines are known but too often design and implementation are started without a clear list of user requirements taking into account the input of all stakeholders. This can lead to serious delays and budgets soaring out of control due to the late discovery of an uncovered need or to a lower user-efficiency caused by the mismatch of the developed system with the company processes or the company policies.

The goal of the consulting phase is the creation of a so-called User Requirements Document (URD) listing in an unambiguous way all the user requirements. The latter document can contain some or all of the following types of requirements:

• functional requirements
• non-functional requirements:
  • quality requirements (ergonomy, efficiency,...)
  • requirements proper to the organisation (meeting certain standards, place of use,...)
  • requirements related to the operating environment (privacy, interoperability, security)
  • implementation requirements (delivery times, platform/scripting requirements)

 
The User Requirements Document also allows:

• to draw up a first planning,
• to make a first cost estimate.

THE BENEFITS

• you avoid that information that is obvious to you but not necessarily to the company building your application is not clearly mentioned and specified,
• you can discuss the user requirements document with others or present it to others for approval,
• you can use the user requirements document as a basis for a request for offer sent out to companies you selected to build your application.