Heres my take on a key first step in the development of any functional spec the identification of stakeholder requirements.
Let's start by defining the term 'stakeholder'. A stakeholder can be anyone who has an interest in the successful completion of a project. This may include the individual(s) authorizing the project as well as the folks who will actually be using the application. Once you have identified the stakeholders, at a minimum, you'll need to get answers to the following questions: 1. Type of application to be developed (e.g., marketing website, self-service portal, etc.) 2. Objective (e.g., increase sales, reduce administrative costs, etc.) 3. Who will use the application (e.g., customers, employees, etc.) 4. Some basic details about the application (e.g., content, interfaces, etc.) 5. How is the application supposed to function (e.g., security, navigation, etc.) 6. Measurements for success (e.g., 10% increase in sales, 20% reduction in administrative costs, etc.) There are several ways to identify stakeholder requirements but I find the most effective approach is to interview each person. Youll want to leave each interview with answers to the 6 questions listed above. When you have completed your initial round of interviews, document your findings and ask the stakeholders to provide feedback. In my experience, it is beneficial to gain consensus from the project stakeholders before you start drafting the spec.
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