rafaelgorski/customer-needs

Customer Needs (CN)

Step 3 of 5 in Problem-Based SRS methodology
Previous: Customer Problems → Software Glance
Next: Software Vision

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP 14 RFC 2119 RFC 8174 when, and only when, they appear in all capitals, as shown here.

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Required Inputs

Before running this skill, ensure you have:

• [ ] Customer Problems (CPs) — from customer-problems skill
• [ ] Software Glance — early rough idea of the software solution (provides boundaries)

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Definition

Customer Needs describe the outcomes a software system must deliver to solve (or help solve) the customer's problems — not how the system works internally.

Your Task

For each CP, generate CN statements that map directly to solving that problem.

Structured Notation

Each CN MUST follow this grammar:

[Noun] [Verb] [Means] [Object] [Condition]

Where:

• Noun: Who has the need (the company, a manager, a customer, a user)
• Verb: Expresses necessity (needs, wants, intends, aims, desires)
• Means: The software system under design
• Object: What the software provides (MUST be one of four outcome classes)
• Condition: Constraints on the object (period, accuracy, scope)

Four Outcome Classes

Every CN MUST provide ONE of these outcomes. The software delivers VALUE through these categories:

1. Information

What it is: Data, knowledge, awareness delivered to the user

Common verbs: know, be aware, be informed, be reminded, see, view, receive

Examples: | Domain | CN Statement | |--------|--------------| | CRM | "The manager needs a CRM to know customer feedback statistics monthly." | | HR | "The HR director wants an HR system to be aware of employee absenteeism weekly." | | Finance | "The accountant needs the system to know overdue invoices daily." | | IoT | "The homeowner needs the app to be informed when energy usage exceeds threshold." |

2. Control

What it is: Continuous supervision, automatic regulation, or active management of processes

Common verbs: control, regulate, manage, supervise, maintain, adjust, ensure

Examples: | Domain | CN Statement | |--------|--------------| | Energy | "The user needs MicroER to control energy distribution based on consumption profiles." | | Aerospace | "The astronaut needs the system to control cabin pressure continuously." | | Manufacturing | "The operator needs the system to regulate temperature within ±2°C." | | Smart Home | "The homeowner needs the system to manage HVAC based on occupancy." |

3. Construction

What it is: Means to create, build, or produce digital artifacts

Common verbs: create, build, compose, generate, design, draft, edit, produce

Examples: | Domain | CN Statement | |--------|--------------| | CRM | "The marketing team needs the system to create email campaigns." | | Architecture | "The architect needs the system to create floor plans in CAD format." | | Reporting | "The manager needs the system to generate monthly performance reports." | | Content | "The user needs the system to compose responses to customer feedback." |

4. Entertainment

What it is: Enjoyment, leisure, or recreational value

Common verbs: play, enjoy, experience, watch, listen

Examples: | Domain | CN Statement | |--------|--------------| | Gaming | "The player needs the game to provide multiplayer battles." | | Media | "The user needs the app to play music based on mood." | | Streaming | "The viewer needs the platform to recommend shows based on history." |

Outcome Class Distribution by Domain

| Domain Type | Typical Distribution | |-------------|---------------------| | Business/Enterprise | 70% Information, 20% Construction, 10% Control | | IoT/Embedded | 50% Information, 40% Control, 10% Construction | | Creative Tools | 60% Construction, 30% Information, 10% Control | | Entertainment | 70% Entertainment, 20% Information, 10% Construction |

Output Format

For each CN, provide:

CN.[ID] - [Statement following the structured notation]
- Outcome Class: [Information | Control | Construction | Entertainment]
- Traces to: CP.[ID]

Rules

• Each CN MUST trace to at least one CP
• Stay within the Software Glance boundaries
• Focus on OUTCOMES, not functionalities
• Use natural language the customer understands
• One outcome per CN statement

Examples from Methodology

Information outcomes:

• "The manager needs a software system to know the balance of the client's accounts every quarter."
• "The human resource director wants a software application to be aware about the employee absenteeism every month."

Control outcome:

• "The astronaut needs a software system to control the pressure inside the spacecraft cabin continuously."

Construction outcome:

• "The architect needs a software system to create building floor plans in standard formats."

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Usage Example

Input:

Software Glance: CRM web application for managing customer relationships

CP.1 - The sales team lacks visibility into customer purchase history, causing repeated pitches of already-owned products.
CP.2 - Account managers cannot track customer feedback systematically, leading to unaddressed complaints.

Output:

CN.01.1 - The sales team needs a CRM software to know the complete purchase history of each customer at any time.
- Outcome Class: Information
- Traces to: CP.01

CN.02.1 - The account manager needs a CRM software to be aware of customer feedback statistics monthly.
- Outcome Class: Information
- Traces to: CP.02

CN.02.2 - The account manager desires a CRM software to know which customer complaints remain unaddressed daily.
- Outcome Class: Information
- Traces to: CP.02

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Quality Checklist

| Criterion | Check | |-----------|-------| | Each CN traces to at least one CP | ☐ | | Each CN uses exactly one outcome class | ☐ | | Each CN follows [Noun][Verb][Means][Object][Condition] | ☐ | | CNs stay within Software Glance boundaries | ☐ | | CNs describe outcomes, not functionalities | ☐ | | All CPs are addressed by at least one CN | ☐ |

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Handoff to Next Step

When CNs are complete:

✅ Step 3 Complete: Customer Needs Specified

Summary:
- [N] Information needs
- [N] Control needs
- [N] Construction needs
- [N] Entertainment needs

→ MANDATORY: Run zigzag-validator skill to validate CP → CN traceability
→ Next Step: 4 - Software Vision
→ Use skill: software-vision

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What This Skill Does NOT Do

This skill focuses solely on CN generation. The following are handled by other skills:

• ❌ Problem identification → use customer-problems skill
• ❌ Software Glance creation → use software-glance skill
• ❌ Software Vision refinement → use software-vision skill
• ❌ Requirements specification → use functional-requirements skill

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Reference

Based on Problem-Based SRS methodology (Gorski & Stadzisz, 2016)

Version: 1.2
Step: 3 of 5
Next: software-vision skill