Business Requirements

["Nieman, Scott" <Scott.Nieman@norstanconsulting.com>]

I would like to kick off a discussion on "business requirements" which is
our first deliverable.  We need to first compile a list of requirements that
a business person would want, and from there build a list of functional and
nonfunctional requirements of a repository.  The functional and
nonfunctional requirements MUST be traceable to a business requirement in
some form (otherwise why specify it?).  

In TMWG, we have started to develop some UML models to represent this, and
at this time we have some use cases started.  It is my goal to incorporate
everything we do in this project team into the UML model.  Similar to the
SWIFT demonstration, I would like to generate off the model itself the XML
DTD or Schema to represent the interfaces to the repository.  Ideally, the
interfaces are abstract enough that the physical implementation ( MOF,
11179, OIM, etc. ) can be interchangeable.  Dave Van Noord kicked off the
idea of client application adapters and provided a sample "getDTD" request.
While I believe this is definitely one of the interfaces, I strongly believe
that this will fall right out of the model if we do it correctly.

Another point is the background documents that should be used to build these
lists.  We need to have a means to share these documents.  In the meantime,
the official TMWG documents are at:
http://www.harbinger.com/resource/klaus/tmwg/documentlist.html

Particular interest to our group:
N093 - Report to UN/CEFACT on repository costs
N030R1 - Repository RFI to commercial repository vendors

X12's SITG put together a document that details the anticipated workflow
that went into the N093 document.  I put up a temporary web site at
http://objectrepository.homepage.com/ that shows a high level workflow.
Most of this has been input into the UML model.  We are using Rational Rose
98i that can generate HTML representations of the model.  The freebie web
site above does not support frames, so it is not available to us until we
move to the OASIS site.  Its in constant state of refinement, so we'll need
an easy way to update the site ( permissions that is ).

Sample business requirements:
The business would like to have dynamic mapping tools that automatically
retrieve the most current file specification from a repository.  ( note this
would be broken into MANY functional requirements ).
The business would like to be able to map internal application semantics to
horizontal and vertical industry semantics.

Any more?

Scott

PS I am out for the rest of the day.  See ya tomorrow!