Requirements

Requirements come in two basic flavors: (1) functional and (2) non-functional. To obtain
these two basic items fill in the blanks for these two statements:
(1) The system shall __________ (do something).
(2) The system shall be __________ (something).
The first statement tells the systems engineer what the system shall do; what functions it
shall perform.
Examples include: The system shall water plants. The system shall provide electric power to
appliances.
The second statement tells the systems engineer what the system shall be; what attributes it
shall have.
Examples include: The system shall be large enough for 10,000 acres of tomatoes. The
system shall be small and light enough for an elderly woman to use. The system shall be suitable for
a portable hair dryer. The system shall be powerful enough for a drill that can punch one-inch holes
in reinforced concrete.

The context-free questions about the product (the system) include:
 What problems does this product solve?
 What problems could this product create?
 What environment is this product likely to encounter?
 What kind of precision is required or desired in the product?

The authors also include questions about questions. These include:
 Am I asking too many questions?
 Do my questions seem relevant?
 Are you the right person to answer these questions?
 Are your answers official?
 May I write down your answers and give you a written copy to study and approve?
 Is there anything else I should be asking you?
 Is there anything you would like to ask me?
 May I return or call you with more questions later, in case I don’t cover everything this time?