3. Effects of poor problem definition

The last two pages have discussed the issue of not accurately defining the problem that the system is meant to resolve in the first place.

Here are some more effects of poor problem definition:

Project does not meet its objectives

Project completion time slips or even fails to finish

Cost over-runs, two or three times over budget is not unusual in an out-of-control project

Project drags down other projects as it uses up limited resources such as coders and engineers

Completed project does not improve work flow or effectiveness as much as hoped

Mission creep, which means more and more features are piled into the project as it progresses, causing lower performance, more delays and costs to escalate.

Therefore is should be apparent that a good problem definition phase is a vital part of the overall system life cycle.

Challenge see if you can find out one extra fact on this topic that we haven't already told you

Click on this link: Successful requirements capture