CORE: Cognitive Organization for Requirements Elicitation

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Slide 2: How to get out of a mess: Use the CORE methodology Cognitive Organization for Requirements Elicitation Scott M. Confer Joanna Wiebe Information Architect Information Architect Author contact: joanna.wiebe@orbitz.com 312.260.8274 Creative Commons license . Wiebe & Confer, 2007.

Slide 3: C O CORE overview R E Integrates two analytical methodologies: • Conceptual graphing (Gordon, Gill, Schmeier, 1993) • Collaborative soft systems inquiry framework (Checkland, 1981). 3

Slide 4: C O What is the CORE Method? R E • CORE – An emerging methodology and conceptual toolkit at Orbitz • Allows the IA to lead the team to – Clarify – Elicit – Iterate the initial vague requirements. 4

Slide 5: C O Advantages of the CORE method R E Centers on the user, drawn as a key actor in Rich Picture. Cross-disciplinary teams can work collaboratively to define quality requirements. Other advantages include: • Scalable for large or small projects • Is domain-agnostic • Rules-based formal grammar for cognitive graphing ensures a thorough approach • Based on empirically validated methods • Ecologically valid combination of two methods widely used in industry and business today Above all, CORE is a driver for innovation 5

Slide 6: C O CORE has seven steps R E Step 1: Unstructured situation Step 2: Rich Picture Step 3: Relevant systems Step 4: Conceptual Graph Structures (CGS) Step 5: Preliminary requirements Step 6: Requirements consensus Step 7: Translation to Information Architecture 6

Slide 7: C O The scenario R E Final details of the contract with the third party had not yet been resolved, one reason that the requirements were not complete at kickoff … Sound familiar? 7

Slide 8: C O So, you find yourself needing better requirements? R E • The IA didn’t have a formal organizational method for requirements development. • The ‘flat’ organizational structure at Orbitz demanded team consensus for the project to move forward What to do next? 8

Slide 9: C O What to do? R E Add structure! 9

Slide 10: C O Step 1: The Unstructured Situation R E In an unstructured situation, “…human perceptions, behavior or actions seemed to be the dominating factors…goals, objectives and even interpretation of events are all problematic.” (Naughton, 2005) Also known as the “MessTM” in soft systems 10

Slide 11: C O Some attributes of a requirements “mess” R E • • Too little, incomplete, or Undefined or implicit features missing: • Featuritis – User research • Speed to market is the driver – Functional requirements • “We don’t need no requirements!” – Use cases • “Requirements” are: – Voluminous (i.e. have Featuritis) • Magically coordinate with – Solutions-focused other projects / – Vague dependencies – Disorganized – Missing – Conflicting – Interdependent – Not prioritized (or all=HIGH) 11

Slide 12: C O Some attributes of requirements with “quality” R E • • Correct Verifiable • • Unambiguous Modifiable • • Complete Traceable • • Consistent Understandable • Prioritized for importance and stability Reference: Leffingwell, D. and Widrig D. (2000). Managing Software Requirements - a Unified Approach 12

Slide 13: C O To structure an “unstructured situation” . . . R E 1. Identify key roles 1. Form your team – investigator – subject matter expert 2. Do the research – client – What is this thing? – problem-owner – What’s happening? – problem-solver – What to do? (one person may wear many hats) – Where is it? – Where can I find out more? (more question probes, next slide) 13

Slide 14: C O Question probes for primary research R E Where can I What is this What’s What to do? Where is it? find out thing? happening? more? What is this thing? What’s happening? What’s happening? What to do? What to do? What to do? Where is it? Where can I find out more? Concept State Event Goal Goal / Action Style Location Information What to do? What is this thing? What’s happening? What’s happening? What to do? What to do? Where is it? Where can I find out more? What does a What happens Is there anyone else What is _____? What causes of Why does _____ Where is _____? before having the person do after How _____? who I should talk to enables _____? occur? about _____? goal of _____? _____? What to do? What’s happening? What’s happening? What to do? What to do? Where is it? What is this thing? Where can I find out more? What happens What states of events Where can I find What are the Why does _____ What happens What causes or What is above cause or enable a after having the out more about parts of _____? occur? before _____? enables _____? _____? person to _____? goal of _____? _____? What to do? What’s happening? What to do? Where is it? Where can I find out more? What is this thing? What’s happening? What to do? What are the Can you How does a What happens What is below What are the What happens How is the goal of consequences of recommend any person _____? after _____? _____? types of _____? before _____? _____ attained? _____? books? What to do? What’s happening? What’s happening? What to do? What to do? Where is it? Where can I find out more? What is this thing? What are the What state or Can you What are the What does a What happens What happens if What is to the left consequences of event initiates the recommend any properties of _____ person do before after _____? not _____? of _____? that distinguish it _____ occurring? goal of _____? web sites? _____? from _____? Where is it? Where can I find out more? What is this thing? What’s happening? What to do? What to do? Are there any What are the What is the What prevents What are specific What is to the journals dealing instances or consequences of outcome of you from being right of _____? examples of _____? with _____? _____ occurring? _____? able to _____? What to do? What to do? Where is it? Where can I find out more? What are the Is there a manual What is the goal What contains consequences of dealing with of _____? _____? _____? _____? What to do? Why does a person _____? What to do? Questions from: Gordon et al., & San Diego State University What happens if 14 http://coe.sdsu.edu/EDTEC544/Images/probes.gif you do not _____?

Slide 15: C O Step 2: Create a “Rich Picture” R E THIRD PARTY EVENT SITE HARD INFO : Event registration and approvals workflow process § Create participant types, manage participant lists etc § Travelport for Business Global view of all event activity costs, benefits , § Preparing , updating and analyzing event costs § Rich Picture v 0.03 Event travel project Consultancy Email invites and notifications § Hotel and car default reservations § ROLES SME Investigators: IAs A system to enable Travelport for Business to act as the travel booking engine for events Client: Product Manager managed through a third party online system . New features include : PARTICIPANT TYPE ISSUES: Problem owner : * Single-sign-on for registered and non-registered users · Where to set up participant types ? * Communication of travel information to third party system for reporting and tracking . Corporate Travel exec PROJECT TEAM * Travelport travel policy to be associated with event travel · How to make sure they match on * Customer Service Agent enablement both sites ? * Split form of payment SME · * Fees for high-touch and general event services Can address book be developed? Third party event site PRIMARY TASKS (with our brand for our customers ) USER HARD INFO: Develop long -term vision for user interface integration § Users coming in Develop laundry list of features/functions § Users are categorized § from event site Event Manager User Interface Pick “low-hanging fruit” for Phases and 1 0 § by participant types and user groups Measure resource impact § Manage event travel bookings § Some are registered § Pinpoint all the issues and assign responsibility for resolution § Confirm traveler itinerary § Travelport users, some ROLES Develop Project Plan § Single sign -on are not; event site can’t § : Registered Travelport distinguish between our UI requirements registered and user EVENT MANAGER HARD INFO : Functional requirements unregistered users Email confirmation Data requirements Turn Event Manager on/off by company § Content requirements Unregistered user Air reservations for event travel § SOFT INFO: Creative requirements Hotel and car res (if not in event site) § Process flows Advanced policy for Car, Hotel (if not in event Features/functions § · Stakeholders value project differently site) and Air Technical requirements · Contract pending · Shifting cast of stakeholders Localization requirements · Distributed leadership of project Resource requirements · Release schedule issues Managerial requirements Other Travelport users Data safety requirements Performance requirements ROLES EVENT TRAVEL POLICY SETUP ISSUES: Testing requirements HARD INFO : § When setting up policy (name, ID, description , dates, location, status, flag, and existing air , Travel administrator Individual event participants login to event site register for event , car and /or hotel policy rules ), can event iD be passed from event site and associated with HARD INFO : and then are passed (with event Travel manager (with event name? If not , how to handle errors? Policy for each event ID is associated with ID, participant type, user info, or without admin ) § participants in this order: Resource cost of building templates and address books of participant types , event types, etc. hotel, car, arrival info etc.) to our booking path which is - Trip purpose Customer Service prepopulated with their info - User group - default POLICY ISSUES: Agent § Who sets policy for this travel ? Implementation managers? Travelport administrators ? Special event planner role? Event Site Travelport Travelport Corporate Travel § Can policy be set up in such a way that the person doing it can edit specific event policy across Event travel Booking path Administrator Registration sessions, save it in an inactive state , save it in an active state , activate it , delete it, review past summary for events policy, resuse past policy ? § What are implications of changing who does this from phase to phase of the project ? § What is best solution if during search , date range is picked that is out of range ? Halt message? LOGIN ISSUES: § Will there be an on-the-fly registration process for unregistered users ? § What data travels with them from the event site ? § LEGEND What data do we store on their activity ? § What data can user or administrator see , edit, delete? Key actors Event site servers Our servers § What happens if a user tries to log in but no policy has been set up for their event ? Users § Will registered users be constrained to book event travel only by logging in through event site ? 15 User interactions § If registered user finishes booking , how will the system “know” they are finished ? If they want to book non -event travel, do they have to log out first ?

Slide 16: C O Case study example: Rich Picture R E A Rich Picture is Checkland’s term for a visual capture of: • Structure • Function • Process • Environment. The IA worked from her raw interview notes, whiteboard sketches and assumptions, to create the Rich Picture, using Visio. Drawing the picture is a way to methodically walk through some or all of key aspects of the project. 16

Slide 17: THIRD PARTY EVENT SITE HARD INFO : Event registration and approvals workflow process § Travelport for Business Create participant types, manage participant lists etc § Global view of all event activity costs, benefits , § Consultancy PRIMARY TASKS Preparing , updating and analyzing event costs § Email invites and notifications § Hotel and car default reservations § Develop long -term vision for user interface integration § ROLES SME Investigators: IAs Develop laundry list of features/functions § Pick “low-hanging fruit” for Phases and 1 0 § Client: Product Manager PARTICIPANT TYPE ISSUES: Problem owner : Measure resource impact § · Where to set up participant types ? Pinpoint all the issues and assign responsibility for resolution § Corporate Travel exec PROJECT TEAM · Develop Project Plan § How to make sure they match on both sites ? SME · Can address book be developed? Third party event site EVENT MANAGER HARD INFO : (with our brand for our customers ) USER HARD INFO: Users coming in Turn Event Manager on/off by company § Air reservations for event travel § Users are categorized § from event site Event Manager User Interface Hotel and car res ( if not in event site ) § by participant types and Advanced policy for Car, Hotel ( if not in event § user groups Manage event travel bookings § site) and Air Some are registered § Confirm traveler itinerary § Travelport users, some ROLES are not; event site can’t Single sign -on § : Registered Travelport distinguish between our SOFT INFO: UI requirements registered and user Functional requirements unregistered users Email confirmation · Stakeholders value project differently Data requirements · Contract pending Content requirements Unregistered user · Shifting cast of stakeholders · Creative requirements Distributed leadership of project · Process flows Release schedule issues Features/functions Technical requirements Localization requirements Resource requirements Managerial requirements EVENT TRAVEL POLICY SETUP ISSUES: Other Travelport users § Data safety requirements When setting up policy (name, ID, description , dates, location, status, flag, and Performance requirements existing air , car and/or hotel policy rules ), can event iD be passed from event site and ROLES Testing requirements associated with event name ? If not, how to handle errors? HARD INFO : Travel administrator Individual event participants login § Resource cost of building templates and address books of participant types , event types to event site register for event ,