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3.3.5 Specification Types, Principles, And Organization
Author(s) -
Jones David A.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
incose international symposium
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2334-5837
DOI - 10.1002/j.2334-5837.2002.tb02514.x
Subject(s) - vendor , computer science , process (computing) , operations research , emphasis (telecommunications) , telecommunications , systems engineering , engineering , political science , law , operating system
Less than ten years ago there were around twenty types of standard military spec formats, but then came acquisition reform, emphasis on performance specs, the superseding of MIL‐STD‐490 ( Specification Practices ), and database vendor claims that specs are a waste of time. Last year at the INCOSE symposium a panel of experts decisively stated that both databases and specs ware needed. If specs are still worthwhile, how should they be used and how should they be organised? This paper reviews the types of former and present mil specs, and the reasons for the changes. It shows how different types of specs apply to different parts of the development process. The paper then goes further and examines the characteristics of good specs for any purpose and offers practical suggestions for organising them, including a useable outline. (This paper does not deal with determining the requirements for particular systems.)