Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 10 steps to doing good requirements! October 28, 2007
Well written with lots of nuggets of gold for even a veteran. What I really like is how he boils things down to 10 things you absolutely should be doing to have a good basic requirements practice / process. I was already doing most of these, but I work with many companies that still haven't figured out how important doing requirements right is to having a successful project. This book is great ammunition to convince a non believer to start using requirements and process. It is an easy read, well organized, and can make the most disorganized IT department a success in short order.
 Where's the beef? March 19, 2005
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This book is great if you are looking for a high level book on to manage a customer, but there is not much real meat when it comes to the requirements. Example: he suggests having a workshops to build communication between the customer and the supplier. However, there is not much there in the first half of the book on how to go about actually gathering and managing reqrirements.
I am looking for a book to help me when I already have good communications with my customer, and I need to start producing results.
I am returning this book
The Title is Right August 20, 2002
8 out of 11 found this review helpful
Effective Requirements Practices very well describes the contents of this book. It is clear that Ralph has experienced all the corners of the requirements process, over the full system life cycle. He packages his experience in very complete, clear and practical advice. Even if you have a lot of experience in software or systems engineering projects, you will probably still find a lot of helpful information. I wanted to write a book on Requirements Engineering myself. Reading Ralph's book made me understand that that's not needed any more. Use it as a cook book full of good and effective recipes: just follow his advice and your chances of project success are greatly increased.
Great Overview of Best Ideas for Managing Requirements. January 25, 2002
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
This book is a rich up to date source of the best thinking and practices
regarding requirements. It is a systems engineering book, and is rich in the
motivation/organization/process aspects of dealing with requirements
throughout the life cycle. I especially appreciated the rich pointers to
easily accessible websites for referenced material. The author has personal
contact with the best people in the business, and has managed to collate
their experience and advice with his own large scale experiences. This is
not a book on specific methods for expressing requirements. It is a
manager's book. When my son said "Dad I only want you to recommend the best
of what you read", I handed him my copy.
A "Must-Have" for a Requirements Library January 25, 2002
18 out of 20 found this review helpful
I have a different perspective on Dr. Young's book than many engineers. I am actually a technical writer who specializes in writing requirements. I also have a teaching background. Effective Requirements Practices is a very well written book that effectively teaches you about the entire requirements process. Some features that I liked about Dr. Young's book are:WELL WRITTEN STYLE. He defines his vocabulary and uses simple clear language. He summarizes important information into charts, checklists, flowcharts, and bulleted lists. He follows a logical outline so I can locate the specific chapter I need quickly.
APPLICABLE ADVICE. I liked the criteria of a good requirement. It gave me specific questions I could ask to see if the requirement was good.
PROCESS OVERVIEW. This book helped me understand other's roles in the requirements process so I could work better as a team.
EXPANDABLE RESOURCES. He gives informative summaries of applicable websites, papers, or books. I can expand to other resources when I need to research a specific topic.
CURRENT RESEARCH. Dr. Young gives great dollars-and-cents examples of why we need effective requirements practices. This has helped sell the requirements process to management.
INFORMATION CD. The CD contains templates, checklists, vocabulary, and visuals that you can use to help establish your requirements practice. Whether you are going to focus on a few chapters or the entire book, Effective Requirements Practices is a "must-have" if you work with requirements.
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