Getting to Requirements:

The W5H Challenge

James N Martin
Aerospace Corporation

James R van Gaasbeek

Northrop Grumman Corporation
 The W5H Technique

What,
What, Who,
Who, Where,
Where,
When,
When, Why
Why &
& How
How

… a sound basis for questions in the

early stages of requirements definition
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 Traditional Systems
Engineering Process

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 The Systems Engineering
Challenge

As proposed by the As specified in As designed by

project sponsor the project request the analyst

As produced by As installed at the What the user

the “bean counters” users site wanted
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 From Customer to Solution

Traditional
Engineering Analysis
Tools & Techniques
Customer
Requirements
Systems
Engineering
System
Requirements &
System Solution

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 What’s Wrong with this
Picture?
• Assumptions:
– Customer actually knows what they want
– Customer can write good requirements
– Customer represents all stakeholders

Customer
Requirements Systems
Engineering System
Requirements &
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 Where do Requirements Come
From?

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 Where do Requirements Come
From?

Requirements are like

coal …

Coal doesn’t come from

anywhere …

… you have to GO GET IT !!!

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 Getting to Requirements

Wants, Needs &

Initial Expectations
Requirements
Definition Constraints,
Conditions
Initial & Challenges
Requirements

Systems
Engineering System
Requirements &
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 Initial Requirements Using Non-
Engineering Techniques

Initial Non-Traditional,
Requirements Non-Engineering Analysis
Tools & Techniques
Definition
Initial
Requirements

Systems
Engineering System
Requirements &
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 Many Stakeholders

Stakeholder Wants,
Needs & Expectations
Requirements,
Customer Constraints &
Users Objectives

Operators
Initial
Requirements
Maintainers
Definition … that define the
Developers
problem space
Others …

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 Example: The Four Who’s

• Who benefits?

• Who pays?

• Who supplies?

• Who loses?

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 Another Example:
The Five Why’s
• Why do you want a 10,000 GHz Pentium chip?
– Graphics are too slow to appear on screen.
• Why do you want fast graphics?
– So I can more quickly get data for my analysis.
• Why do you need graphics to get data?
– I don’t. That’s the only way I can get the data.
• Why do you need the data?
– To prepare my monthly progress report.
• Why do you do this manually?
– The data warehouse is too difficult to set up scripting
for automated data retrieval.
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 Systems-Unique Roles

Systems
Leadership
Ma

g
Sy gem

ee s
gin em
rin
na
st e e

En st
ms nt

Sy

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 Different Questions for
Different Roles

Who Questions Results

Engineers What? Functions &
How Well? Performance
Managers How Much? Cost &
When? Schedule
Leaders For Whom? Purpose &
Why? Vision
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 Building Frameworks

W5H
Elements

Aspects
of the
System

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 Zachman Architectural Framework
for Information Systems

What How Where Who When Why

DATA FUNCTION NETWORK PEOPLE TIME MOTIVATION

SCOPE

ENTERPRISE
MODEL
SYSTEM
MODEL
TECHNOLOGY
MODEL

COMPONENTS

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 TM
ENTERPRIS E ARCHITECTURE - A FRAMEWORK
DATA What FUNCTION How NETWORK Where P EOPLE Who TIME When MOTIVATION Why

SCOPE List of Things Importa nt List of Proce s ses the Lis t of Locations in which Lis t of Organizations List of Events Significant List of Busine ss Goals /S tra t
to the Busine ss Busine ss Performs the Busines s Ope rates Important to the Busines s to the Busine ss SCOPE
(CONTEXTUAL) (CONTEXTUAL)

Planner ENTITY = Class of Function = Cla ss of Node = Major Busine ss Ends/Me ans =Ma jor Bus. Goal/ Planner
Busines s Thing Busine ss Proce ss Pe ople = Major Orga niza tions Time = Major Busines s Event Critica l S ucce ss Fa ctor
Location
e.g. Se ma ntic Model e .g. Bus ine s s P roce ss Model e.g. Logistics Ne twork e.g. Work Flow Model e.g. Ma ste r S che dule e.g. Busine ss Pla n ENTERPRISE
ENTERPRIS E
MODEL MODEL
(CONCEPTUAL) (CONCEPTUAL)

Owner Ent = Busine ss Entity Proc. = Busine ss Proce ss Node = Business Location People = Organization Unit Time = Busine ss Event End = Busine ss Obje ctive Owner
Re ln = Busine ss Re la tionship I/O = Bus ine ss Resources Link = Busine ss Linkage Work = Work Product Cycle = Busine ss Cycle Me a ns = Busines s S tra tegy
e.g. Logical Da ta Model e.g. "Application Archite cture " e .g. "Distribute d Sys te m e.g. Huma n Inte rfa ce e.g. P roce ssing Structure e.g., Busine ss Rule Model
SYSTEM
SYSTEM Architecture" Architecture
MODEL
MODEL (LOGICAL)
(LOGICAL)

Node = I/S Function

Ent = Da ta Entity P roc .= Applica tion Function (Processor, S torage, e tc) Pe ople = Role Time = S ys tem Eve nt End = Structural As sertion
Designer Re ln = Data Relationship Cycle = Proce s sing Cycle Designer
I/O = Use r Views Link = Line Characte ris tics Work = Delive ra ble Me ans =Action Asse rtion
e.g. Physica l Data Model e.g. "S yste m De sign" e .g. "Syste m Archite cture " e.g. P res entation Architecture e.g. Control S tructure e.g. Rule De sign TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
MODEL CONSTRAINED
(PHYSICAL) MODEL
(PHYSICAL)

Node = Hardwa re /Syste m Builder

Builder Ent = Se gme nt/Ta ble /e tc. Proc.= Compute r Function People = User Time = Execute End = Condition
S oftware
Re ln = Pointe r/Key/etc. I/O = S cre e n/Device Forma ts Link = Line Specifica tions Work = Scre en Format Cycle = Component Cycle Mea ns = Action
e.g. Da ta Definition e.g. "P rogram" e.g. "Network Architecture" e.g. Se curity Archite cture e .g. Timing De finition e.g. Rule Spe cifica tion DETAILED
DETAILED
REPRESEN- REPRESEN-
TATIONS TATIONS
(OUT-OF- (OUT-OF
CONTEXT) CONTEXT)

Sub- Sub-
Contractor Ent = Fie ld Proc.= La ngua ge S tmt Node = Addre ss es People = Ide ntity Time = Interrupt End = Sub-condition
Reln = Addre ss I/O = Control Block Link = Protocols Work = J ob Cycle = Ma chine Cycle Mea ns = S tep Contractor

FUNCTIONING FUNCTIONING
e .g. DATA e.g. FUNCTION e.g. NETWORK e .g. ORGANIZATION e.g. SCHEDULE e.g. STRATEGY
ENTERPRISE ENTERPRISE

Zachman Institute for Framework Advancement - (810) 231-0531 Copyright - John A. Zachman, Zachman International
 Requirements over the System
Life Cycle
What
DATA
How Where Who When
FUNCTION NETWORK PEOPLE TIME
Why
MOTIVATION

DESIGN &
DEVELOPMENT

TEST &
EVALUATION

PRODUCTION &
DEPLOYMENT

OPERATION &
SUPPPORT

RETIREMENT &
DISPOSAL
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 Getting to Requirements
Wants, Needs &
Initial Expectations
Requirements
Definition
Constraints,
Initial Conditions
Requirements & Challenges

Systems
Engineering System
Requirements &
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 The Eternal Question

• Question:
Can the system do Ecks, Wye, and Zee?

• Answer:
It depends …

… on What, Who, Where, When, Why and How.

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 Conclusions

• The W5H technique is useful throughout

the system life cycle

• Especially useful in the early stages when

the problem is “fuzzy”

• Helps get all the issues on the table

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