Understanding requirements

Kishore C.S.

August 1999

Understanding customer requirements is the first step towards customer satisfaction. Understanding user requirements is a difficult task in any Industry. More so in Software field where the field is evolving and customer expectations are changing fast. Changing technology makes the process of satisfying customers more difficult.

Understanding practical example of a restaurant can give an idea how requirements get specified and what analysis goes into the same.

Requirements need to be validated with a set criteria. Refined and translated to a more specific criteria.

A customer goes to hotel and asks for a coffee. The various statements that can come in this scenario with varying degree of specific nature of requirements:

• Get me a coffee
• Get me a black coffee
• Get me a coffee without sugar
• Get me a strong coffee without sugar
• Get me a strong coffee with lot of sugar
• Get me a coffee without sugar fast.
• Get me a Hot coffee without sugar in 5 minutes
• Get me a coffee with biscuits/snacks

The scenario where the specifications are very elaborate are easy to comply with and satisfy customer. In each of the above cases there are still some inherent specifications which is left to the supplier. The supplier has to use his own judgement/expertise and satisfy the customer.

Various methods for satisfying customer in each of above scenarios is mentioned below:

Requirement: Get me a Hot coffee without sugar in 5 minutes

Comment: Requirement very clear and elaborate. Even then qualitative aspect of Hot coffee is to be judged by supplier. Should confirm with customer whether the coffee is hot enough to ensure customer satisfaction. Check with customer whether he wants something to munch before he gets to his coffee.

Requirement: Get me a coffee without sugar fast.

Comment: Fast is not specific enough. Should confirm/judge about the time frame. 1 minute or 5 minutes

Requirement: Get me a strong coffee with lot of sugar

Comment: Strong and lot of sugar are subjective. An expert supplier will understand what is enough. Other option is to give the customer Coffee pot with milk and sugar cubes so that the customer can decide how much he needs.

Requirement: Get me a strong coffee without sugar

Comment: Similar to above scenario and leaving out sugar cubes is enough.

In all the above scenarios one aspect of ‘presentation’ is never stated. Whether coffee will be served in a cup or glass or flask is again dependent on the supplier. But there are hidden customer expectations on the same which will be never stated. E.g. you don’t expect a 5 star hotel to serve coffee in a steel glass. If you do so you are not satisfying the customer. In a similar way, a person taking coffee in a fast food restaurant does not expect to be served with a tray of milk, sugar cubes etc.

If a simple scenario of serving coffee has so many complications attached, software requirement specifications are much more difficult to understand.

Some critical steps towards customer satisfaction are:

1. ‘Listen’ to your customer
2. Deliberate on his demands
3. Validate the requirements against standards
4. Seek clarifications in case of doubt
5. Have the communication channel with your customer ‘open’
6. Promise delivery after proper understanding of expectations
7. Deliver on or before time
8. Check with customer how he much he is satisfied with the product
9. Make corrections if needed and possible.

 Rules:

1. Do not deviate from what customer expects. If you can’t meet expectations communicate to the customer with valid reasons immediately. Users are rational.
2. The more specific the customer the better for you.
3. Always ask questions. In some cases customer can contradict his statements.
4. Never assume customer’s expectations. Have dialog with customer if possible or experts in the field.

Use tips and rules given above while evaluating requirements in future.

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