A project manager's comments on the use of the WISDM requirements method 

I used the WISDM Requirements Method to formalize system requirements on two occasions, chiefly to document the requirements of a major water and sewer utility system in Adelaide, Australia and the requirements of an international payments system for Credit Lyonnais Bank in London.

• In Adelaide, the WISDM Requirements Method was very successful in several ways:  

• Extremely fast and efficient requirements gathering process (weeks instead of years).

• Accurate and consistent requirement description.

• Clear project scope.

• Very little change to implement the 18 months project life cycle (changes were limited to the changes local government authorities required in billing algorithms).

• Efficient change management process.  

The WISDM Requirements Document proved to be a key element upon which our system architect based the design of the Water and Sewer System. It has proven to be thorough and accurate.  

The WISDM Requirement Method facilitated top management's full control over the project scope and system functionality.  

The project remained under control with regards to budget and schedule despite the size of the effort. This project was the fastest implementation ever of this type of utility application. The software developed using the requirements won the 1997 Australian Software of the Year Award.  

In London the project goal was to gather Credit Lyonnais payment process requirements in order to select the best software product and assess its fit to requirements. The effort was done within two weeks and produced the most useful requirements specifications to proceed with product selection. Once again, management could comprehend functionalities and approve the selection of the software product.

John Baptiste DuPont
Project Manager
Paris, France

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