Creation of an e-business requirements specification model

Purpose - This paper aims to describe the creation of an e-business functional requirements definition model using a case study process. Design/methodology/approach - The creation of this model was the subject of a research project, the hypothesis of which is that it is possible to produce a model that can be used in real life situations to specify, using objective reasoning, the e-business requirements of an organisation. Findings - The research demonstrated a practical method of creating and refining this model and further was able to demonstrate that there were reasonable prospects of converging towards a stable model. Research limitations/implications - The paper has demonstrated that it has produced an acceptable model by using a case study process that gives sound results. It is also felt that it has validated the basic research method that was adopted. Practical implications - An innovative tool has been created whereby a specification of e-business requirements can be created in a matter of a few hours, compared with the weeks' or months' worth of effort often involved in the use of the traditional business systems analysis process. Based on the operating characteristics of a company and the concerns of its management, the specification avoids the prejudices of consultants and vested interests of salesmen. Originality/value - The computerised rule-based system is easy to use and leads to a significant reduction in the time taken to generate an accurate functional specification. In addition, it provides a useful way of generating overall insights and communicating an e-business requirements picture at a management summary level.