3. Client summary

• Client is able to communicate the overall purpose of the system to be developed.
• Developer uses client-friendly tools to help elicit more detail about the system. The client cannot be expected to be expert on the details of the system.
• If the requirements were defined perfectly at the beginning (including costs), then development would most likely run smoothly and efficiently.
• Imperfect requirements are more common and so errors, misunderstandings, false assumptions, missed items, cost over-runs, time slips and so on may creep in, unless regular dialogue with the client takes place to correct this.
• Quite often, client requirements change as the project develops. Perhaps features are added or removed as the client gets a better understanding of what they want. A good change-control process is needed to manage this properly, with the client signing-off and agreeing to the consequences of the change. For example, the change may add time and cost to the project.
• Prototyping tools can help with assessing the current state of the project and to understand the next phase of the project.