The biggest reason why web projects fail is due to a lack of preparatory work that results in an incorrectly written requirements specification.
It is true that there are businesses that carry out preparatory work themselves before the project starts, and then use it as a basis when ordering a web project. The so-called requirements specification is then included in a request for quotation on which the supplier’s quote is based.
Unfortunately, the requirements specification is often poorly written and lacks essential requirements that should be included in a web solution, such as its performance and security. A professional supplier can see that a significantly more detailed and structured requirements specification is needed. Otherwise, there is a great risk of choosing the wrong technology and that the estimated time schedule and budget are not accurate.
You can read more about why web projects fail here.
Based on our experience in the industry, the biggest reason for failed web projects is a lack of preparation. This can be avoided by:
- Prepare a correctly written and well-developed requirements specification consisting of functional and non-functional requirements.
- Analyze which are the most suitable technologies for the web solution based on sustainability, flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
- Use a project methodology that is based on sprints (phases) with delivery after each sprint.
Requirements specification
An incomplete requirements specification that only consists of a bulleted list is not enough. A requirements specification should lay the foundation for a successful web project, which means that it should describe the intended web solution in a structured and clear way.
To make the requirements specification as structured as possible, we recommend dividing it into functional and non-functional requirements. The functional requirements describe how the intended web solution interacts with users, that is, what a user can do.
While the non-functional requirements are all other requirements that you have for the web solution, such as its graphical interface and performance. Such as a description of the web solution’s loading times.
Functional requirements
A well-written and detailed requirements specification should be numbered and the functional requirements should be written using so-called user stories. This means that the functional requirements that exist are described from the user’s perspective to clarify what is possible for the user to implement. An example of this is:
1.01 As a user, I should be able to log in by filling in my username and associated password.
To avoid misunderstandings and an incorrect estimation of the project, we recommend that everything a user can do in the intended web solution can be specified using user stories. This requires a lot of work and understanding of web development and projects, as a lot of requirements should be specified. However, this is necessary so that different parties have the same picture of what is to be delivered in the project.
Non-functional requirements
The non-functional requirements describe the other requirements that are on the web solution, such as its graphical interface, performance, security and user-friendliness. It is very common for the non-functional requirements to not be clearly defined in a requirements specification, which can lead to incorrect development and incorrect project estimation.
During our years in the industry, we have seen businesses order search engines without defining loading times for searches. Or e-commerce without requirements for user-friendliness or performance. This easily results in solutions with low user-friendliness that can damage the brand.
By clearly defining which non-functional requirements are present in the intended web solution, problems like this can be avoided. Writing non-functional requirements can be difficult and requires experience in web and system development.
Are you having difficulty developing a well-thought-out and well-written requirements specification? Contact us, and we can discuss which requirements are important for your particular web solution!
Choosing the right technology
If a requirements specification is not well-written or sufficiently detailed, there is a great risk that the wrong technology will be chosen before the project starts. For example, the wrong choice of technology can limit the performance, user-friendliness and the possibility of further development of the web solution.
The choice of technology should always be evaluated based on three criteria; sustainability, flexibility and cost-effectiveness. With these three points in mind, a safe and cost-effective technology will be chosen that can be further developed after the solution is complete. When choosing a technology, the first step is to choose a technical platform. Should the intended web solution be developed in a CMS (Content Management System) or a web framework?