Getting the balance right between functional and non-functional requirements: the case of requirement specification in IT procurement
Författare
Summary, in English
IT procurement represents a business process of high importance, including the ability to articulate requirements that
the procurement deals with. Furthermore, specifying requirements is of importance for both procurer and potential
supplier, as it functions as central contractual element between the two. The purpose of this article is two-fold: (i) to
show how established terminology for requirement specification is represented in current call for bids for the
procurement of IT; and (ii) to introduce an organizing framework that may assist procurers in actively addressing
functional requirements and business requirements. Ten “call for bids” were examined from a Swedish national
procurement database. From the analysis of the bids, it can be concluded that: (i) the call for bids displays a high degree
of precision regarding hardware aspects, but less precision regarding software; (ii) supplier experience and competence
is stressed, but rarely elaborated on in detail; and (iii) call for bids vagueness may be used as a lock-in opportunity for
suppliers. From the discussion on this, a tentative procurement framework is suggested, aiming on increasing the logical
transparency for the procurement of IT.
the procurement deals with. Furthermore, specifying requirements is of importance for both procurer and potential
supplier, as it functions as central contractual element between the two. The purpose of this article is two-fold: (i) to
show how established terminology for requirement specification is represented in current call for bids for the
procurement of IT; and (ii) to introduce an organizing framework that may assist procurers in actively addressing
functional requirements and business requirements. Ten “call for bids” were examined from a Swedish national
procurement database. From the analysis of the bids, it can be concluded that: (i) the call for bids displays a high degree
of precision regarding hardware aspects, but less precision regarding software; (ii) supplier experience and competence
is stressed, but rarely elaborated on in detail; and (iii) call for bids vagueness may be used as a lock-in opportunity for
suppliers. From the discussion on this, a tentative procurement framework is suggested, aiming on increasing the logical
transparency for the procurement of IT.
Avdelning/ar
Publiceringsår
2013
Språk
Engelska
Sidor
5-16
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
IJISPM - International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management
Volym
1
Issue
1
Länkar
Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
SciKA
Ämne
- Information Systems, Social aspects
Nyckelord
- procurement of IT
- software specification
- government procurement
- software requirement
- procurement checklist
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 2182-7796