Re: How much requirement documentation up front?

From: Daniel Parker (danielaparker_at_spam?nothanks.windupbird.com)
Date: 10/27/04 

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 00:41:27 -0400

----- Original Message -----
From: "H. S. Lahman" <h.lahman@verizon.net>
Newsgroups: comp.object
Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 11:02 AM
Subject: Re: How much requirement documentation up front?

> Responding to Parker...
>
> >>As far as the evolution of standards is concerned, that is a quite
> >>different situation because the subject matter itself is being defined.
> >>
> >
> > But that's sometimes a characteristic of business applications as well.
>
> Do you have an example? I am really curious
> because I spent a decade doing core IT systems and I can't think of one.
>
Most of the financial trading system and risk management projects I've been
involved with have had a significant business learning component that took
place over the life of the project. Much of this learning component was
related to the application of numerical methods to complex valuation and
simulation problems, where the expertise was distributed between
quantitative analysts and developers like myself who made this area
something of a speciality. In general, any project that has some R&D
component will have this characteristic, to more or lessor extent.

> [IMO, once 4GLs are in general use for software development the next big
> push for standardization and automation will be around the specification
> of requirements.]

I agree with this general observation. I also agree that most internal IT
projects today do not involve any significant R&D component.

Regards,
Daniel Parker