DEVELOPING FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ITS PROJECTS

This monograph is one of a series intended to introduce systems engineering topics to managers and staff working on transportation systems projects, with particular emphasis on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) projects. Systems engineering is a discipline that has been used for over 50 years and has its roots in the building of large, complex systems for the Department of Defense. Systems engineering is an approach to building systems that enhances the quality of the end result and the expectation is that its application to transportation systems projects will make those projects more effective in developing and implementing the systems they are intended to build. Although applying systems engineering techniques on a project doesn't guarantee success, not following a systems engineering approach is a strong recipe for failure. This monograph is primarily geared to ITS project managers and systems engineers on ITS projects, the front line people who convert high- level goals and plans into implemented ITS systems. Good functional requirements are essential to good systems. Experience shows that the failure to write good functional requirements often leads to serious project problems, sometimes even to project failure. While having good functional requirements does not guarantee success, it provides the project with a better chance at success