The purpose of this activity is to conduct a review meeting with User Management to confirm the deliverables produced thus far in Phase 1, particularly the Project Scope, Information Requirements, and Data Definitions.  

OVERVIEW

This is a major review point in ISEM. Before Systems Engineering can devise a system solution, there must be consensus agreement about the information requirements. Misunderstandings or misinterpretations will be costly later on.

Systems Engineering and Project Management have the responsibility to assure that User Management is in full accord with the Project Scope and its Information Requirements. Systems Engineering should be aware of the tendency of some executives to delegate their attendance at a meeting to someone else. If this occurs, the delegate selected should be empowered by management with decision-making ability. Otherwise, progress will be minimal. Insistence on this point will eliminate costly 'second-guessing' later in the project. More importantly, the project has an improved chance of success with management support and involvement.

There are three major areas to be clarified by the meeting:

1. That the Project Scope accurately states the business problems/opportunities, and that the boundaries of the project are understood. In particular, all areas of the business affected by the project, both directly and indirectly, should be defined.

2. That all of the necessary Information Requirements for the project have been considered and that each has been accurately defined.

3. That the Data Definitions accurately represent the business facts needed to support the information requirements.

As a general comment, one of the reasons that it is sometimes difficult to obtain either verbal or written agreement is that User Management does not know clearly what is being agreed. At this point, User Management is agreeing to the Information Requirements and should be aware these can be revised or added to if conditions change during the development process.  

STEPS IN EXECUTION

1. Systems Engineering conducts a review meeting with User Management. The purpose of the meeting is to clarify the deliverables produced thus far in Phase 1. In particular, the Project Scope, Information Requirements, and Data Definitions are checked for accuracy.

   Based on the review, User Management will either approve the deliverables or request revisions which Systems Engineering implements accordingly.

   The net result is a formal agreement of the requirements prior to seeking a system solution.