Active Requirements Management (RM)

Example Needs Assessment and Tool Selection

for a Company Producing Hardware (HW),

Software (SW), and Systems

David M Cronin

Cognition Corporation

781-271-9300 x241

david.cronin@cognition.us

General Needs Assessment

Our RM needs include SW, HW and System/Technology development

SW-centric needs focus on textual targets, test validation and traceability

HW-centric and system needs similarly include textual targets, test validation and traceability

HW-centric and system needs, however, are driven much deeper by the PDP and TDP

To support TDP/PDP deliverables and execution, RM tools must be able to handle:

Quantitative storage and analysis of targets, design predictions and process capability

Computational linkages and traceability throughout core PDP steps and data, including

VOC/VOB/BOT/VOR, Market Reqs, Product Specs, Critical Parameters, Cost Targets, Cost

Estimates and Actual Costs, Faults, Mitigations, Controls, and Validation/Verification Tests

HW and system-centric RM needs are driven by the broader goal to

achieve lean execution of detailed TDP/PDP steps and deliverables

Market data analysis (Segmentation, KJ, etc.)

VOC/VOB/VOT/VOR assessment and prioritization

Critical Parameter identification through HOQ and Hazard Analyses

Design Concept Exploration and Selection (Pugh/Kano)

System Tree / Functional Tree / Risk Tree Creation and Linkage

Bottoms-up FMEA, Mitigation, and Control Plan Management

1st Eng. Principle Computation and Transfer Functions

Critical Parameter Flow-down and Design Prediction Flow-up

Statistical Variation Target Assessment / Scorecard Reporting

Design of Experiments and Test Management

Product Cost Estimation and Initiative Management

SW-centric RM Needs

focus on documentation

Textual Req’s & Spec’s

Textual V&V Tests

Trace Matrices

SW Needs TDP/PDP Needs

What are we doing to improve our

Product Development Process (PDP)?

Active Requirements Management can:

Be the backbone for all our trace matrices

Predict product performance

Assure compliance deliverables

Reduce Time To Market

Be a Go-To web site for everyone

Portfolio PDPTDPBusiness

PlanningVOC

Innovation

Internal

VOC

Voice of

Customer

Portfolio

Plan

PDP

TDP

Innovation

Voice of

Business

Business

Planning

- Breakthrough

- Platform

- Derivative

Revamping a Typical Product Development Process

Business Case for Knowledge Capture

Capturing of Product Performance Knowledge will

Reduce Product Development Resources & Time to Market

Time

InitialResource Level

With ImprovementsTime to

MarketResources

Resource Level by

Transferring & Sharing

Knowledge

Actual

resource

level

Post Launch

“Fire Fighting”

Resources

Active Requirements Management (RM)

Exposes Program Risks & Opportunities

RM Facilitation Meetings Lead to Identifying Risks and

Discovering Opportunities

Early in the Development CycleRadar Project

Facilitation Meetings

Maintain a Product

Level Perspective

During Development

with Constant Focus on

Customer & Business Needs

Enables Cross Function

Perspectives that Lead to

Interaction & Constraint

Discoveries

Provides a Forum for

“Out of the Box” Thinking

That Leads to New Idea

Generation

Marketing

Design

SystemsEngineering

SubjectMatterExperts

MFG

Suppliers

Standards

Partners

Active

Requirements

Management

Active Requirements Management (RM)

A Disciplined Methodology to Capture the

Product Performance Requirements into a Structured Repository

House of Quality (A-B)

Business Req Analysis

KJ / Affinity Diagrams

Mind Mapping

TRIZ

Pugh Concept Select

Kano Model

Preliminary Hazard Analysis

Example ToolsTasks Concept Step Outputs

Engineering 1st principles

House of Quality

Tests/Experiments

Measurement Systems

Analysis

3. System/Technology

Concept Selection

2. Brainstorm System/

Technology Concepts

1. Review customer

Requirements to

determine scope

4. Select Product

Features and Set

Specs

ConceptUse inputs from Voice of Business (VOB) and Voice Of the

Customer (VOC) to generate the best product

concept and product features.

List of Prioritized

Features linked to

VOC/VOB

System/Technology

Concept(s)

Key Reqs

Measurement

System(s) Assessment

IP Assessment

Competitive

Assessment

Preliminary Hazard

Analysis

Map Market Reqs to Product Reqs

1

2

3

4

5

6

1) Market ReqsImportanceFactors

2) Competitive

Analysis of

the Market

Reqs

3) Product Requirements

(with Target Values)

to Satisfy the Market

Requirements

3 4) Mapping Matrix of

Product Requirements

to the Market Reqs 5) Competitive

Analysis of

Prod Reqs

6) “Roof” Interactions of

Product Requirements

The House of Quality

can be Broken into

Distinct Sections(sometimes called “Rooms”)

Canister Leak

Top Event

Passenger

Injury

Air Bag

does not

deploy

Flying

Debris

Faulty

Sensor

Basic Events Closing

Actions

Intermediate Events

Signal Failure

Voltage

Instability

No seat belt

worn

OROR OR

Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) Process

Constructing the Fault Tree

Design system by identifying key inputs using

organizational wisdom, engineering principles,

Design For Six Sigma (DFSS) and other methods and tools

Example ToolsTasks Design Outputs

Process Map

Stability Studies

DOE Planning Sheet

Measurement Systems

8. Identify Potential key

inputs (design, process,

material)

9. Determine key inputs for

Each requirement Statistical Tests

Screening DOE

Characterization DOE

5. Brainstorm

Assembly/Component

Option(s)

7. Identify requirements for

Assembly /Component

Mind Mapping

TRIZ

Measurement Systems

Process Map

Requirements Map

6. Select Assembly/

Component Option(s)

FTA/FMEA

Experimentation/ Prototyping

Process Map

Engineering first principles

Pugh Concept Selection

System Defined:

Design

Process

Materials

Capable

Measurement

Systems

Updated Risk

Management

Process Flowchart

System Doc. Pkg.

Prioritized list of critical

inputs linked to System

Requirements.

Make vs buy decision for

components/sub assy’s

IP Assessement

Design

RM Tools For:

Flowing-down customer

requirements to product &

process design

requirements

Active RM allows flowing-

up process capability &

predicted performance to

customer requirements

Market

Req

Product

Req

Assembly

Req

Component

Req

Process

Req

Market

Req

Product

Performance

Assembly

Performance

Component

Performance

Process

Capability

RM Business Process - Risk Management SOPs

Proposal Definition Validation

& Ramp-upDevelopment

Product Req Design Freeze Design VerificationMarket Req

RM Tools Support the RM Business Process

Drawing Tree

© 2001 by Sigma Breakthrough Technologies, Inc.

Eng first

principles

assessment of

what impacts

Requirements

Critical Parameter

Management

(CPM): Flow Down

and Flow Up of

Requirements and

Capabilities

DESIGN

Market

Reqt’s

Product

Reqt’s

Critical Parameter Management (CPM) Flow Down

Requirements Tree (i.e. functional)

Drawing Tree (i.e. physical)

Process Flow Chart (i.e. process map)

FTA

DOE Planning Sheet

DESIGN

Key Inputs for each Output Req

Mapping the Performance to the Physical

EDS(Physical)

CPM(Performance)

MufflerHousing

Exhaust Diameter

Overall Length

Intake Diameter

316 Stainless Steel

Production Drawing

Material Spec Sheet

Critical Params

Are a Subset of

the Total Specs

Block Diagram – Active Requirements Management

Regardless of Which Flow Down Method is used, the

Critical Parameter Hierarchy Map Overlays the

Physical Block Diagram Hierarchy where the

Critical Parameters (Reqs) “Reside”

Product Specs

Assembly Specs

Component Specs

Material & Process Specs

Optimized Nominal

Settings and

Tolerances for Reqs

System Performance

Analysis (flow down

and up) and

Capability of Reqs

Control Plan

Steps

RDTA

Worst Case

Statistical

Tolerancing

Example Tools

Control Charts

Capability Study

11. Check stability and

capability of critical

Reqs

12. Set tolerances for

key Reqs &

complete the

control plan

Optimization DOE’s

Robust Design

Concepts

Cognition Cockpit

10. Determine optimum

settings for Reqs

based on all Y= f(x)

models

Optimize Outputs

Refine key relationships Y=f(x)

Optimize performance and business requirementsOptimize

Individual Y (Req) Scorecard Format,

Which Actually Depicts the Transfer Function

Transfer Function Scorecards

f(x)

Performance Producibility

Reqs Set in

The 1st HoQ

Predictions via

Design Reqs

Predictions via

Process Cap.

Verification

Test DataRWhat We Want What We Think

We Can Do

What We Think

We Can MakeWhat We Have

Design SpecsEstimated

Process Cap.

Verification

Test DatarWhat We Need What We Might Get What We Have

Two Distinct

Flow Ups

During the

Development

Process

Transfer

Functions

Requirement Capability Growth

Requirement Capability Grows during the Product Development Process

Concept Design OptimizeVerify/

Validate

Validation studies

Sampling plans

Hands-on-stats

Clinical Trials

Prototype Test Drives

System consistently

meets customer needs

Validation

plan/reports

Qualification

plan/reports

Control/Transfer Plan

Scorecard

Example ToolsTasks Validate Outputs

16. Finalize Control

Plan and Transfer

Control Charts

Control Plans

Sampling Plans

14. Verify Reqs meet

key product specs

for challenge

conditions for key

Reqs

15. Validate product

meets customer

needs

13. Qualify equipment

and conduct pre-

validation runs

Qualification studies

Mistake proofing

Confirmation runs

Verify that Req is within specification when all key input

requirements are within spec and validate that Req falling

within specification satisfies the customer.

Verify/

Validate

RM Tool Assessment: our technical needs

Imp. DOORS ReqPro COCKPIT

According to the INCOSE SW-centric assessment, no major differences are revealed

Even if all metrics were perfect, it does not translate to our success

Instead, an assessment of our actual TDP/PDP needs follows:

Textual Requirement/Specification Definition 100 10 8 10

Textual Validation Tests 70 10 8 10

Complete PDP Trace Matrices 100 6 5 10

Market data analysis (Segmentation, KJ, etc.) 80 3 3 7

VOC/VOB/VOT/VOR assessment and prioritization 80 2 2 7

Critical Parameter identification through HOQ & Hazard Analyses 90 0* 0* 8

Design Concept Exploration and Selection (Pugh/Kano) 50 0* 0* 8

System Tree / Functional Tree / Risk Tree Creation and Linkage 100 0* 0* 9

Bottoms-up FMEA, Mitigation, and Control Plan Management 80 0* 0* 7

1st Eng. Principle Computation and Transfer Functions 60 0* 0* 10

Critical Parameter Flow-down and Design Prediction Flow-up 90 0* 0* 10

Statistical Variation Target Assessment / Scorecard Reporting 60 0* 0* 9

Design of Experiments and Test Management 90 5 5 7

Product Cost Estimation and Initiative Management 80 0* 0* 8

* function not supported 3180 2710 9710

Details of the INCOSE Tools Vendor Survey

You can download the INCOSE Excel sheet with vendor responses at:

http://www.incose.org/ProductsPubs/products/rmsurvey.aspx

Ease of use, ease of adoption, ease of support, etc. are vital to a successful

deployment of RM. Here are the key metrics reviewed:

Intuitive user interface for easy adoption by all project personnel 100 4 5 9

100% Browser based for easy deployment and IT support 90 2 2 10

Ease of Customization to Meet our SOP Template Deliverables 100 2 1 10

Online tutorials and ease of casual use for “non systems engineers” 80 4 2 8

Ease of integration with CAD, patent search, PLM/PDM, 70 2 1 9

Imp. DOORS ReqPro COCKPIT

1240 1010 4070

RM Tool Assessment: will our engineers use it?

Cockpit scores highest for usability by “non experts”

Next, an overview of Cockpit

Active Requirements Management with

Cognition Cockpit Version 5.1

Who is Cognition

How does Cockpit support Active Requirements Management

Some details about licenses and IT

Cognition History

Cognition has been offering tools and services for

product development for 10 years

Cognition has two products:

• Cognition Cockpit (covered in this slide set)

• Enterprise Cost Management

Products are integrated to provide a tool for complete

management of product performance and cost

We are successful is because we provide engineers

with collaborative solutions to problems they face every

day, without adding overhead and additional time

burdens to already heavy demands.

Typical Early Stages of a

Product Development Process (PDP)

Typical Process

Their PDP is designed to prevent problems.

Pro

ject

Ho

urs

rep

ort

ed

per

mo

nth

Cu

mu

lati

ve E

ng

ineeri

ng

In

vestm

en

tEngineering Budget

Product Design

Post Launch

Data still shows launch issues from missed requirements:

Is the PDP delivering success?

“Firefighting”

The Aberdeen Group, reports frequency of missed targets:

Are companies meeting product requirements?

Missed revenue and cost targets are also reported:

Are companies meeting revenue and cost targets?

The negative results of their issues are seen in the news:

What are the implications of missed product requirements?

What are the implications of missed product requirements?

The negative results of their issues are seen in the news:

What are the implications of missed product requirements?

The negative results of their issues are seen in the news:

Analysts report that despite investments, meeting targets is the

same or worse compared to previous years:

Are companies improving yet – is a good PDP helping?

Analysts are independently

forming a strong opinion:

The PDP is fine.

The problem is PDP

execution.

Teams find many steps

stifling,

labor intensive and skip

them.

Engineers often have no

integrated functional

model with all product

requirements.

So, what is the problem?

How can the Cockpit help?

Why is PDP execution a problem? Too complex

Tools are too hard to use

No common data framework or functional model for all product data

How can we improve it? Need something engineers will want to use

The engineer needs to feel the process and tools help make their job easier

The tools used by the engineer need to link all parts of the product development

data together into a complete functional model

Customer voices

Hardware requirements

Software requirements

Product performance modeling results for critical parameters

Cost Management

Failure modes and risks

Verification, Validation and test data

How does the Cockpit help?

The Cockpit enables collaboration for the entire product development process using a web based easy to use interface.

The Cockpit manages the total PDP

The Cockpit now enables collaboration for the entire product development process using a web based easy to use interface.

All Cockpit access is through Internet Explorer

1

2

3

Click here for browser check

Confirms your IE configuration is

correct for the Cockpit

Enter your username and

password from your

corporate LDAP server

Web address for the Cockpit

Customer Customizable Interface

• Customizable interface for reports, views, read-only, etc.

• Custom user defined attributes at any level

Document Management

• Acts as a web based corporate shared drive

• Automatically generates documents based on current project data

• All documents have full versioning and access control

Full version and configuration control for all project data

• Each project can have as many frozen versions as desired

• Each individual item (VOC, requirement, risk) is separately versioned

• Details of changes available for entire project or any item

Customizable activity templates to match your PDP

• Cognition provides many sets of templates out of the box

• Templates are easily modified by you to match your PDP process

• Templates provide access to all Cockpit features and reports

Needs/Voice collection capabilities

• Word templates for automatic interview & survey imports

• Interview & Survey results summary automatically generated

• KJ Analysis to organize raw voice inputs

• Affinity diagrams with red and blue groupings sort inputs

Needs/Voice collection capabilities

• Prioritize all of your voices for translation into requirement

(Voice of Customer, Voice of Business, Voice of Regulatory, etc.)

House of Quality / QFD

• Document based HOQ reports at all levels of the product structure

• Organized by product subsystems, category, BOM, etc.

Requirements / Critical Parameter Management

• Support all types of product requirements, use cases, features, etc.

• Track actual numerical values including nominal and variation

Scorecard reports at all levels of your system

Risk Management / FMEA

V&V / Test Management

Instant traceability throughout all levels of your system

Cockpit is integrated with the following tools

Out of the box, Cockpit works with:

MS Word

MS Excel

MS Powerpoint

MS Internet Explorer

Firefox (with IE Tab add on)

Crystal Ball

@Risk

Matlab

Enventive

SMTP Mail Servers

More tools can be custom connected at any time

com, ole, corba, odbc, java, html, xml, api’s…

Licensing, Support, Maintenance, Training

Cockpit is a web 2.0 application so users only need Internet

Explorer to log in

Cockpit is available as a perpetual(permanent) license with

annual maintenance or as a subscription(annual fee) license

Cognition provides full customer support via phone, email, fax,

live web/support sessions and in person. Cognition has offices

in Boston, MA, Paris, and Birmingham, UK

Annual maintenance & technical support are included with

perpetual licenses and with subscription licenses

Cockpit training is available at any Cognition location, at your

location, and via live web session training classes.

Basic user training is 2 days

Advanced(lead user/admin) training is 4 days

Cockpit uses the Object Store database on it server which is the

database used by Amazon.com and many others