The requirements phase is the most unclear phase of the solution development effort. Everyone knows what a "requirement" is but nobody knows how to acquire one. Determining the starting point is often the most difficult task. After all, it is that "starting point" that moves the mountain. To start with, we will make a presumption that we have identified a problem and we envision a solution. Now, we must now state "why we need this solution and what the business case is for expending the effort." This is why we are going to "move the mountain."

This statement becomes the nucleus of the requirements, i.e. the highest level requirement or the mission. The language to express a requirement must be precise, unambiguous, and measurable. Meeting a requirement is binary - you either satisfied the requirement or you didn't.

As mentioned earlier, the mission (or goal) is the nucleus from which all requirements radiate.

 Often, accelerated efforts loosely define the mission; usually the result of a problem that arises from a poorly understood situation. This is quickly turned into a demand to the development staff to have it completed on an arbitrary date (these demands are usually made internally by development staff management).

This killer-dynamic duo is responsible for innumerable project failures, heavy financial losses, and a confrontational relationship between business functions. All of these unfortunate problems can trace their genesis to requirements; either the lack of then, inability to appreciate their value, no budget for them, no techniques to capture them, etc.