Table of Contents

Foreword.


Preface.


Introduction.


1. A Framework for Architecture.
The Zachman Framework. The Architecture Framework. The Analysis Process. Implications.

2. Managing Projects.
Introduction. Summary of Development Phases. About Strategy. About Requirements Analysis. Process One: Define Scope. Process Two: Plan the Process. Process Three: Gather Information. Process Four: Describe the Enterprise. Process Five: Define What Is Required of a New System. Process Six: Determine the Existing Systems Environment. Process Seven: Plan for Transition. Summary.

3. Column One: Data.
Views of Data. A Brief History of Data Architecture. Advanced Data Management—Meta-data. Graphics—Data Modeling. Using Entity/Relationship and Object Models. Normalization. Data Modeling Conventions. Entity/Relationship Model Validation. The Requirements Analysis Deliverable—Column One. Data and the Other Columns. Conclusion.

4. Column Two: Activities.
From the Business Owners' View to the Architect's View. Approach. Function Hierarchies. Dependency Diagrams. Data Flow Diagrams. IDEF0. The UML Activity Diagram. Interaction Diagrams. Use Cases. A Word About Business Process Re-engineering. Detailed Function and Process Documentation. Implications of Analyzing Activities. The Requirements Analysis Deliverable—Column Two. Activities and the Other Columns.

5. Column Four: People and Organizations.
How to Organize the Enterprise (Row One). Row Two: The Business Owner's View. Row Three: The Nature of a (Human) System. Implications of This Model. System Use. Requirements Analysis Deliverable—Column Four. People, Organizations, and the Other Columns.

6. Column Three: Locations.
Row Two—Geography. Row Three—Network (and the Other Columns). The Requirements Analysis Deliverable—Column Three.

7. Column Five: Timing.
Introduction. Row One: Scope. Row Two: The Business Owner's View. Row Three: The Architect's View. The Requirements Analysis Deliverable—Column Five. Timing and the Other Columns. Conclusion.

8. Column Six: Motivation.
Introduction. Row One: Scope. Row Two: Business Owners' Views. Row Three: Architect's View. Requirements Analysis Deliverable—Column Six. Motivation and the Other Columns. Conclusion.

Appendix A. The Zachman Framework.


Appendix B. A Comparison of Data Modeling Techniques.


Appendix C. The Business Rules Group Motivation Model.


Appendix D. The Business Rules Group and David C. Hay Modified Motivation Model.


Glossary.


Bibliography.


Index.

Promotional Information

This book is a compendium of the various analysis techniques that have developed over the last thirty years, organized in terms of an architectural framework. Each technique has a place in the framework, and this placement enables coherent comparison of them all, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each. Project development teams often spend too little time learning about the actual business problems a system must address. Without a clear understanding of these issues, organizations can easily develop off-target solutions, miss critical windows of opportunity, and get overrun by their competition. On the other hand, development teams that follow a proven process tend to get it right from the beginning, avoiding the costs of repairing or re-releasing software later in the life cycle. Requirements and Analysis is the process of defining your system. This involves obtaining a clear understanding of the problem space—such as business opportunities, user needs, or the marketing environment—and then defining an application or system to solve that problem. Rational Requirements and Analysis solutions help you build it right from the beginning. Foreword by Barbara von Halle, Spectrum Technology Group Inc.

About the Author

David C. Hay has been developing interactive, database-oriented systems since the days of punched cards, paper tape, and teletype machines. He is president of Essential Strategies, Inc., a Houston, Texas-based worldwide consultancy that uses modeling techniques to help construct information strategies and architectures, and defines requirements in a wide range of organizations, including pharmaceutical researchers, news-gathering and broadcasting firms, oil refiners, and government agencies.