D5: convert customer requirements into technical requirements, both functional and non-functional to ensure that customers' expectations are accurately reflected in the software products developed.
Sure, the process you're talking about involves taking the expectations and needs of the customer (often expressed in non-technical language or broad business-focused terms) and translating them into technical specifications that can guide the development of software. This is a critical step in the software development process. Here's a more detailed explanation of each aspect:
Customer Requirements: These are the needs and expectations expressed by the customer or the end user of the software product. These could include what the software needs to do, how it should perform, and any constraints or rules that need to be adhered to. The customer may also have certain usability requirements, like ease of use or a specific interface design.
Converting into Technical Requirements: This is where the software developer, or more commonly a business analyst, takes those customer requirements and turns them into a detailed, clear set of guidelines that can be used by the development team. This often requires an understanding of both the technical aspects of software development and the business or usage context of the software.
Functional Requirements: These are the technical requirements that describe what the system should do. This could include tasks, services, or functions the software needs to perform. For instance, if you're building an e-commerce website, a functional requirement might be "The system should allow users to add items to a shopping cart."
Non-Functional Requirements: These are requirements that define how the system performs a function rather than the function itself. They often relate to performance, security, usability, reliability, etc. Using the same e-commerce example, a non-functional requirement might be "The system should be able to handle 10,000 simultaneous users."
The software developer's role is to ensure that these requirements are accurately captured and understood, and then to translate those requirements into the design and implementation of the software. This could involve writing code, but it also often involves working closely with other members of the development team, like designers, testers, and product managers.
It's also important to note that this is an iterative process - as the software is developed, it may be necessary to go back and revise the requirements based on new information or changes in the business or technical context.