Developing an Energy Information System: Rapid Requirements Analysis

Abstract

This article describes a simple method of evaluating the impor-
tance of specific energy information system (EIS) requirements. This
method helps organizations that have identified a need to develop an
EIS but can’t fi nd the time to define the complex requirements. It is a
method intended to speed up the process without sacrificing the quality
of the process. Energy management teams typically know a lot about
the need for each requirement, but very little about the cost or effort to
produce it. On the other hand, information technology (IT) development
teams know more about costs and effort than the relevant importance
of each of the requirements. Therefore, the conditions are set for confu-
sion, and the likelihood of disagreements is high. Our goal in using this
method of requirements definition is to prevent cost evaluation from
tainting the need evaluation of any one of the proposed features of the
EIS. This method breaks the requirements definition down into manage-
able tasks, evaluates the best balance between need and cost for each of
the requirement tasks, and then produces a priority of work document
to guide the development team.