On Thu, May 29, 2008 at 6:57 AM, Steve Jones <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The two bits of requirements and system are the bits that might need > refinement here. > > Requirements tends to be (we can use it in other ways but...) Use > Cases, specific request etc rather than business objectives and > company strategy. As an example of this when I worked with a company > who wanted in 2000 to "get on the Web" we found that for their market > the web was only one element and the major one was that they had a > non-Web IT access to every one of their customers and investment in > that channel would be much more effective. This to me was classic > architecture as it took an overall corporate goal (sell more stuff) > and a business requirement (we've got to have an e) and then created > an architectural solution that leveraged these in a new way. The > level of woolliness in the statements I was given was exactly what > enabled me to create the requirements in a way that was successful. > > How about objectives instead of requirements? It implies (to me) both > the specific (requirements) and the generic (strategy).
I prefer "constraints" as the most generic term. > The second one is system. To me that implies a black box of IT. > Clearly system can also be used to describe an eco-system of > collaborating services but that isn't how lots of people will read it. > > How about replacing system with ecosystem? That way it can cover both > the IT and non-IT elements and implies some form of holistic view. I prefer holistic system to ecosystem; the latter has too many fuzzy connotations for my taste. As I said, feel free to adapt it and reword it with your favorite (clarifying) terms. If *I* were to clarify requirements and system to deal with the legitimate issues you raise, I'd reword it as follows: *Architecture is the process of translating initial and ongoing constraints (objectives, requirements, regulations, etc.) into effective holistic system implementation, operation, and change by creating, communicating, and improving the key principles and models that describe the holistic system's desired state and enable its evolution.* -- Nick
