REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS
The first questions a businessperson,such as the manager of a department,should consider are:“What needs to be done better in my business?”and“Will a computer help?”[1].Of course,that person might have a difficult time specifying exactly what needs to be done more efficiently in his or her business.And,there are cases where managers introduce computers into their departments without understanding their applications.For example,suppose a small firm does not have a working manual accounting system but contracts the job to an accounting service because no one in the firm really understands accounting.A computerized accounting system might be difficult to implement or,worse yet,might aggravate the accounting problem.
However,thinking about a new computer system is an ideal opportunity for businesspeople to reexamine their business and the manner in which it is operated.The starting point for the requirements analysis is a review of the potential applications.
Making a requirements list of your applications can be done in a simple,nontechnical way.First,make a list of potential applications.Then,write a description of each applications and decide whether it can justify needing a computer system.Also include in the description how much time will be spent using the application.When people begin to describe their applications,it becomes easier to picture more concrete uses and functions for computer systems.The descriptions will serve as guidelines in later phases of the life cycle.
For example,let us examine the case of two secretaries:one is an executive secretary for the president of a firm and the other is a legal secretary for a law firm.The executive secretary is primarily interested in a word processing application to handle business correspondence,which consists of letters,memos,and brief proposals that flow through the office [2].The secretary will use word processing on a daily basis,but only for brief periods during the day.As the secretary begins to describe the applications,he finds out that most of the documents are under three pages and that a word processing package that is easy to learn and use will satisfy most of his needs[3].
On the other hand,the law firm’s secretary needs a word processing application to process the legal contracts and other documents that flow through the law firm’s office.In this case,the documents are lengthy and require extensive revisions.The word processor plays a central role in this secretary’s work,and it is used extensively.The simple,easily learned word processing software might suffice for the executive secretary,but the legal secretary needs word processing software geared to the legal profession that may be harder to learn but,in the long run,will be a more effective tool to solve the problem.
翻譯:
一個實業(yè)家(比如一個部門的經(jīng)理),首先應(yīng)該考慮“讓事業(yè)更興旺需要做些什么?”、“計算機能提供幫助嗎?”當(dāng)然,要準(zhǔn)確地說明他或她所經(jīng)營的業(yè)務(wù)需要采取哪些卓有成效的措施是比較困難的,經(jīng)營者沒弄清楚計算機的具體應(yīng)用就將它們引入其經(jīng)營部門的情況是存在的。例如,假定一個小商行沒有-個人真懂會計業(yè)務(wù),而不用人工記賬系統(tǒng)卻把這一工作交給記賬服務(wù)程序,而計算機記賬系統(tǒng)可能難以完成,或者更糟,反倒增加了記賬困難。
但是,考慮一個新的計算機系統(tǒng)對于經(jīng)營者重新審查業(yè)務(wù)及經(jīng)營方式是一個絕好的機遇。需求分析是從考察潛在的各項應(yīng)用著手。
可以用一種簡單而非技術(shù)性的方式列出所有應(yīng)用的需求清單。首先,列出潛在的各項應(yīng)用。然后,對每項應(yīng)用作出說明,并決定是否有理由使用計算機系統(tǒng);另外,該說明還包括應(yīng)用的時間長短。這樣,當(dāng)人們著手描述應(yīng)用時,勾畫出計算機系統(tǒng)的具體用途和功能就變得得心應(yīng)手。這份說明書將作為生存周期后期的指導(dǎo)原則。
例如,我們來看看兩位秘書的工作情況:一位是一家商行經(jīng)理的執(zhí)行秘書,另一位是律師事務(wù)所的法律秘書。執(zhí)行秘書感興趣的主要是處理商業(yè)函件的字處理應(yīng)用。這些商業(yè)函件包括辦公室經(jīng)手的信件、備忘錄以及簡要建議書。雖然秘書每天都需使用字處理系統(tǒng),但它只占一天中很短的時間。當(dāng)秘書著手描述應(yīng)用時,他發(fā)現(xiàn)大多數(shù)文件在3頁以內(nèi),一種易學(xué)易用的字處理軟件包就能滿足其大部分需要。
而另一方面,律師事務(wù)所的秘書則需要處理事務(wù)所的法律合同以及其他文件的字處理應(yīng)用,這些文件冗長且需要反復(fù)修訂,因此字處理在該秘書的工作中起著關(guān)鍵作用并得到廣泛應(yīng)用。簡單易學(xué)的字處理軟件對于執(zhí)行秘書來說可能已經(jīng)足夠,但對法律秘書則要求適合法律職業(yè)的字處理軟件,此軟件可能不易掌握,但從長期使用的角度來看,它將是解決問題的一個更為有效的工具。
The first questions a businessperson,such as the manager of a department,should consider are:“What needs to be done better in my business?”and“Will a computer help?”[1].Of course,that person might have a difficult time specifying exactly what needs to be done more efficiently in his or her business.And,there are cases where managers introduce computers into their departments without understanding their applications.For example,suppose a small firm does not have a working manual accounting system but contracts the job to an accounting service because no one in the firm really understands accounting.A computerized accounting system might be difficult to implement or,worse yet,might aggravate the accounting problem.
However,thinking about a new computer system is an ideal opportunity for businesspeople to reexamine their business and the manner in which it is operated.The starting point for the requirements analysis is a review of the potential applications.
Making a requirements list of your applications can be done in a simple,nontechnical way.First,make a list of potential applications.Then,write a description of each applications and decide whether it can justify needing a computer system.Also include in the description how much time will be spent using the application.When people begin to describe their applications,it becomes easier to picture more concrete uses and functions for computer systems.The descriptions will serve as guidelines in later phases of the life cycle.
For example,let us examine the case of two secretaries:one is an executive secretary for the president of a firm and the other is a legal secretary for a law firm.The executive secretary is primarily interested in a word processing application to handle business correspondence,which consists of letters,memos,and brief proposals that flow through the office [2].The secretary will use word processing on a daily basis,but only for brief periods during the day.As the secretary begins to describe the applications,he finds out that most of the documents are under three pages and that a word processing package that is easy to learn and use will satisfy most of his needs[3].
On the other hand,the law firm’s secretary needs a word processing application to process the legal contracts and other documents that flow through the law firm’s office.In this case,the documents are lengthy and require extensive revisions.The word processor plays a central role in this secretary’s work,and it is used extensively.The simple,easily learned word processing software might suffice for the executive secretary,but the legal secretary needs word processing software geared to the legal profession that may be harder to learn but,in the long run,will be a more effective tool to solve the problem.
翻譯:
一個實業(yè)家(比如一個部門的經(jīng)理),首先應(yīng)該考慮“讓事業(yè)更興旺需要做些什么?”、“計算機能提供幫助嗎?”當(dāng)然,要準(zhǔn)確地說明他或她所經(jīng)營的業(yè)務(wù)需要采取哪些卓有成效的措施是比較困難的,經(jīng)營者沒弄清楚計算機的具體應(yīng)用就將它們引入其經(jīng)營部門的情況是存在的。例如,假定一個小商行沒有-個人真懂會計業(yè)務(wù),而不用人工記賬系統(tǒng)卻把這一工作交給記賬服務(wù)程序,而計算機記賬系統(tǒng)可能難以完成,或者更糟,反倒增加了記賬困難。
但是,考慮一個新的計算機系統(tǒng)對于經(jīng)營者重新審查業(yè)務(wù)及經(jīng)營方式是一個絕好的機遇。需求分析是從考察潛在的各項應(yīng)用著手。
可以用一種簡單而非技術(shù)性的方式列出所有應(yīng)用的需求清單。首先,列出潛在的各項應(yīng)用。然后,對每項應(yīng)用作出說明,并決定是否有理由使用計算機系統(tǒng);另外,該說明還包括應(yīng)用的時間長短。這樣,當(dāng)人們著手描述應(yīng)用時,勾畫出計算機系統(tǒng)的具體用途和功能就變得得心應(yīng)手。這份說明書將作為生存周期后期的指導(dǎo)原則。
例如,我們來看看兩位秘書的工作情況:一位是一家商行經(jīng)理的執(zhí)行秘書,另一位是律師事務(wù)所的法律秘書。執(zhí)行秘書感興趣的主要是處理商業(yè)函件的字處理應(yīng)用。這些商業(yè)函件包括辦公室經(jīng)手的信件、備忘錄以及簡要建議書。雖然秘書每天都需使用字處理系統(tǒng),但它只占一天中很短的時間。當(dāng)秘書著手描述應(yīng)用時,他發(fā)現(xiàn)大多數(shù)文件在3頁以內(nèi),一種易學(xué)易用的字處理軟件包就能滿足其大部分需要。
而另一方面,律師事務(wù)所的秘書則需要處理事務(wù)所的法律合同以及其他文件的字處理應(yīng)用,這些文件冗長且需要反復(fù)修訂,因此字處理在該秘書的工作中起著關(guān)鍵作用并得到廣泛應(yīng)用。簡單易學(xué)的字處理軟件對于執(zhí)行秘書來說可能已經(jīng)足夠,但對法律秘書則要求適合法律職業(yè)的字處理軟件,此軟件可能不易掌握,但從長期使用的角度來看,它將是解決問題的一個更為有效的工具。