Engineering Specifications and Requirements

Abstract

Earlier chapters describe how engineers attempt to capture design work in text. In particular, Chapter 3 shows how the germ of a design idea is often recorded in proposal documents. Within these documents, it is the technical description of the engineers’ design intent that provides a reference point for the drafting of requirements specifications. Promises need to be converted into deeds. Engineers need to revisit the proposed solution to ensure the company delivers what was promised and fulfils its contractual obligations. It may happen that, on returning to the proposed solution, engineers actually improve on the original design and find they change it radically. Whatever course they take, the fact remains that the proposal provides the impetus for writing specifications that, in turn, specify the product or products that are part of the solution.