Design options definition

The define design options task is used to determine the solution approach, recognize opportunities to enhance the business, assign requirements across solution elements and constitute design options that achieve the desired future state.

When a solution is being designed there might be numerous design options that are identified. Each design option represents a way of fulfilling a set of requirements.

As the solution is being developed, trade offs have to be made among different design alternatives.

There are four elements that are used in the define deign options task and they are:

1. Define solution approaches: The solution approaches describes if the solution elements would be created, purchased or both. The merits of each of these approaches have to be assessed by the business analyst.

The various solution approaches include:

a. Create: solution elements can be created based on a set of requirements. The requirements and designs need to have enough detail to enable a constructed solution.

When an existing solution is modified it is also considered a part of the create solution approach.

b. Purchase: solution elements can be selected from available vendor options which fulfill the stated requirements.

But the requirements and designs need to have enough detail make to ensure that a recommendation can be made on which solution to purchase.

c. Combination of both: Some times a combination of both approaches can be used especially if the requirements cannot be fulfilled by existing vendor solutions.

2. Identify improvements opportunities: When considering design options, there might be a number of opportunities to improve the organisation.

Some common examples of improvement opportunities include:

i. Increased efficiencies: there might be opportunity to automate some tasks via re-engineering or sharing processes, changing responsibilities, or outsourcing.

ii. Improve access to Information: staff who interface directly or indirectly with customers, would have access to greater information thereby freeing the specialists up for other tasks.

iii. Identify additional capabilities: capabilities that could future value would be identified and can be supported by the solution.

3. Requirements allocation: Requirements allocation is the assignment of requirements to various solution elements to achieve the organizational objectives.

When allocating resources trade-offs need to be made to maximize benefits and minimize costs.

Requirements may be allocated between organizational units, job functions, solution elements, or releases of a solution.

The requirements allocation process starts when a solution approach has been determined, and continues until all valid requirements are allocated.

4. Describe design options: Design options are developed with the desired future state in mind. Solution performance measures must be defined for each design option to ensure that the design option is valid.

A design option usually consists of many design elements.

Design elements may describe:

  • The organizational business policies
  • The applicable business rules
  • The business processes that would be used in the solution
  • The people who operate and maintain the solution
  • Operational business decisions to be made,
  • The software applications and application components used in the solution
  • The customers and suppliers.