The Software Development Life Cycle - Software Testing: Testing Across the Entire Software Development Life Cycle - page 40

Figure 2.8 is a goal analysis form that the developers can complete to address
three main goal categories:

1.
2.
3.

system quality,
project management, and
relevance of the system to the organization.[13]

Actions needed
to meet goals

Current context and
requirements

System quality

Functionality Frequent out-of-stock Implement computed -

reorder points and
economic order quantiy.

conditions, excessive
inventory costs.

Maintainability

Portability/Scalability

Project management
Timeliness Management wants new

inventory system as soon
as possible.

Manage project with Gantt
chart and milestone dates
report.

Cost

Client commitment

Organizational relevance
Decision-making
effectiveness

Buyers have incomplete
information for supplier
selection.

Maintain data for each
supplier on cost, quality,
and shipping response.

Operations efficiency

Competitive advantage

Figure 2.8 A goal analysis form

The left-hand side of the form lists these main goals and their subgoals. In the center
column, the developers can enter notes that describe the current situation and/or
the requirements to be met by the system and project. In the right-hand column, the
developers can enter actions that will be needed to meet the goals. This example
contains only entries for a sampling of the cells. For a project, the developers make
entries in all cells.
It is always a good idea to identify quanti tative measures of the new system per-
formance so as to avoid the risk of failing to create a system that satisfi es the users'
perception of the system goals. The term performance criteria is used to describe
these quantitative measures for specifi c objectives. For example, if a goal of the new
system is to process customer sales orders faster, then a performance criterion could
be to process a customer sales order within 3 hours after receipt in the sales depart-
ment if it currently takes 4 hours. With the goals quantifi ed in such a specifi c way, it
will be relatively easy to test the extent to which the system meets these objectives
during development. If the system achieves the performance criteria objectives, then
achievement of the more general goals is assured.