Requirements Definition

[flatkayaker]

I've been tasked with writing an RFP for a new telephone system(s). However, no one has clearly articulated WHY a new system is needed. Management has a vague notion we have little growth capacity, and that there are "features out there" we don't have that may be helpful. What I'd like to do is publish a survey/conduct interviews to clearly define what features we have that we want to keep, what we don't have that we want/need, what our headaches and hinderances are that technology may have answers for, etc. Where I need this forums' help is coming up with the survey. Has anyone done this before? Suggestions on what to ask (as a telecom professional I know phone systems - but everyone could use other perspectives). Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[timg17]

I've seen this approach used before, where we had a software program we hated, and wanted to change it. So a guy comes in and gets someone to write out a complete list of it's features, and makes that the requirement for the next piece of software.
So we end up looking for a solution with a "Jump" button, and it must have it.
The problem with this is that the "Jump" button, is only required because the software was written very poorly - so we were trying to purchase software with bugs in it.
I'd suggest your users won't know what they want, even if you explain it to them.

 

[flatkayaker]

Ha! So true. I have to walk a thin line between handing them a "shopping list" where EVERYTHING becomes a must-have, or not giving them enough information about what is available to where they can't think "outside the system" they already live in. Our existing system is fairly old and doesn't have a lot of the features that is almost mandatory for call centers now-a-days. But there's that old money thing.....I finally decided to ditch the survey idea and instead just sit with the management team and brainstorm how to best meet our strategic goals. But as we all know, when you don't include the people doing the work and living with the system, you're almost bound to fail.