Understanding Stakeholder Needs Before Defining Requirements

Abstract

Needs and requirements are the common threads that tie all lifecycle concepts for a System of Interest (SOI) together. Needs present a stakeholder view of the SOI in terms of what the stakeholders need from the SOI once delivered. The requirements, design, and system will be validated against the integrated set of needs defined for the SOI. Project success and acceptance of the SOI depends on successfully passing system validation. The design input requirements present a technical view of the SOI in terms of what the SOI must do to meet the needs. The design and SOI will be verified against the set of design input requirements. As defined in the INCOSE Guide for Writing Requirements (GfWR), the design input requirements are transformed from the integrated set of needs defined for the SOI. For the design input requirements to have the characteristics defined in the GfWR, the needs from which they are transformed must also have the characteristics of well-formed needs and sets of needs as also defined in the GfWR. In this presentation Lou will discuss the activities involved in understanding what the stakeholders need the system to do before transforming those needs into an integrated set of needs. This topic is also the focus of a seminar that Lou will be presenting for the Chapter in the Spring of 2022. Lou will outline the approach we are planning for this Seminar.

About our Speaker

Lou Wheatcraft is a senior consultant and managing member of Wheatland Consulting, LLC. Lou is an internationally recognized expert in systems engineering with a focus on needs, requirements definition and management and verification and validation across the system lifecycle. Lou has over 50 years’ experience in systems engineering, including 22 years in the United States Air Force. Lou has taught over 200 requirement seminars over the last 21 years. Lou supports clients from government and industries involved in developing and managing systems and products including aerospace, defense, medical devices, consumer goods, transportation, and energy. Lou has spoken at Project Management Institute (PMI) chapter meetings and INCOSE conferences and chapter meetings. Lou has published and presented many papers concerning needs and requirements development and management for NASA’s PM Challenge, INCOSE, INCOSE INSIGHT Magazine, and Crosstalk Magazine. Lou has a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State University; an MA degree in Computer Information Systems from the University of Houston – Clear Lake; an MS degree in Environmental Management from the University of Houston – Clear Lake; and has completed the course work for an MS degree in Studies of the Future from the University of Houston – Clear Lake.

Agenda (CT)

6:30-7:00 pm - Announcements & Introductions

7:00-8:45 pm - Feature Presentation and Q&A

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