How to model details of requirements

[colinc]

I was wondering what techniques people use to model the very detailed aspected of requirements.

For example; I have am doing requirements analsysis of a HR/Payroll system. Part of this is the various pay scales, increments on the scales etc.

The system requirement is relatively straightforward; ability to record pay scales with a one to many relationship to increment levels.......

It is the appopriate place to put the details of the scales I am struggling with. In the past I have generally placed them in Use Cases but it is really too detailed, and makes the Use Case/scenario difficult to read.

In the more textual Use Case requirements analysis I have seen Cockburn recomending to include them 'somewhere' and link to the document, this concept is a little hard to model into UML   Other authors seem to ignore the problem.

My question is, what methods have other people tried, this is obviously a standard problem for analysis?

Thanks, Colin

[sargasso]

I tend to put tabular or configuration data of this nature in a separate document and leave the system requirements focussed on functionality and business rules.

For example, from what you have stated, my first questions would be along the line of
Do the rates change? How often?
Do the structures change? How often?
Does the system need to cope with this?


bruce

[Paolo F Cantoni]

I tend to put tabular or configuration data of this nature in a separate document and leave the system requirements focused on functionality and business rules.

For example, from what you have stated, my first questions would be along the line of
Do the rates change? How often?
Do the structures change? How often?
Does the system need to cope with this?


bruce

Colin,
I agree with bruce on this.  If you think about it in "Design by Contract" terms, what bruce is describing are the "Schedules" that normally attach to the "Contract".  The Contract clauses focus on the responsibilities of each party with respect to some activity or condition.

HTH,
Paolo

[colinc]

Thanks everyong for the ideas,

it seems like an external linked spreadsheet will be the best solution...


Colin