Do the research necessary to understand the types of users that the solution targets, their needs, and the expected benefits to them. For example, the following list provides one way to categorize users:
Current employees only
Current and previous employees
Clearly stating the expected benefits to users helps drive design decisions. For example, here are some benefits that a solution can provide to users:
Remote access to company resources
Simplification of daily tasks
Sharing of resources by remote teams
Self-administration by end-users
Express operational requirements as a set of functional requirements with straightforward goals. Typically, you create operational specifications for areas such as:
Reduced response time
Availability and uptime
Reduced error rate
Information archival and retention
Express operational requirements in measurable terms that all stakeholders can understand. Avoid ambiguous language, such as “adequate end-user response time.” Examples of operational requirements could be the following:
Ability to restore services within 10 minutes of an outage
Ability to replay the last 48 hours of inbound message delivery
Online transactions completed within 60 seconds during peak periods
End-user authentication completed within four seconds during peak periods
Express existing usage patterns as clearly measurable goals. The following questions can help determine such goals.
How are current services utilized?
What are the usage patterns (for example, sporadic, frequent, or heavy usage)?
To which sites do your users typically connect?
What size messages do users commonly send?
How many transactions do users typically complete per day or per hour?
Study the users who access your services. Factors such as when users access existing services and for how long are keys to identifying your goals. If your organization’s experience cannot provide these patterns, study the experience of similar organizations.