Life Begins at Requirements (Continued)

Requirements vs. Needs
So what comes first: the requirements, or a notion of an implemented system? Neither, actually. A business need comes first—a source of irritation, an opportunity, a way to do things more efficiently. Doesn't really matter, but it is important to realize that any app worth building must meet a need.

So you're probably asking, what's the difference between a need and a requirement? To a certain extent it is word play, but word play with a purpose. That purpose is to focus your thoughts on the bigger picture of how the system will be used before writing the requirements. This informal step before committing to a set of requirements is called needs analysis.

Needs analysis starts with the realization that something could be done differently—for example, a productivity enhancement to increase the call rate in a call center. From that initial mission statement, you can rapidly identify the areas that need further development. This exploratory phase is also characterized by asking probing questions: Who will use the application? What level of skill will it require? Who is responsible for its development? Who will sponsor the project? What is the business case for the investment, and how will it integrate with the existing infrastructure?

Once these questions have been answered the same way twice in a row, it is probably time to move to a more formal requirements process. However, it is the informal needs analysis that gets you to that point. If you want to look at this using a house-building metaphor, requirements form the foundation for a solid project, whereas needs analysis corresponds to preparation of the building site.