IDG Contributor Network: How to keep requirements wish lists from crippling software purchases

When an organization recognizes they have outgrown their software or that it has become obsolete, they may decide it is time to replace it. When these projects start, there is only a fuzzy picture of the general needs. The purpose of the requirements discovery process is to bring those needs into sharp focus where they can be expressed as specific requirements. In particular, the discovery process must uncover requirements the organization does not know they need. Significant requirements missed