Chris Johnson, Index
Requirements Analysis

5. Specify Non-Functional Requirements. Non functional requirements are constraints on the system design. They may arise from user requirements, technical disciplines or the external environment. They are often "ilities", can be divided into product or support constraints and include the following areas:

Non-functional requirements are often expensive but add quality. Early identification will avoid costly changes and facilitate the trade-off process leading to a cost-effective solution. Blanket application of individual non-functional requirements will be unnecessarily costly and should be avoided. They should be identified against and linked to the lowest level function in the decomposition to which they specifically apply. Non-functional requirements should also be expressed as unique statements of requirement with the same attributes as system functions.
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