Chapter 5

Who Can Solve the Problem? 1

“He who excels in solving problems solves them before they appear. He who excels in vanquishing his enemies triumphs before their threats take form.”

SUN TZU

The Art of War

Things are taking shape! Due to time constraints, Anne has been unable to consult all stakeholders, but the main stakeholders (those with the most mature and relevant information needed for comprehension of the problem) have been consulted. Thus, the identification of the requirements and expectations of all stakeholders is not “complete” in formal terms, and some contradictions or incoherencies remain.

Time is pressing on, however, and Anne is under pressure from Yves to produce concrete results. The results obtained so far are tangible: using reasoning techniques, Anne has been able to obtain a list of requirements for the life support facility covering multiple aspects and points of view, including operational use, the particular lifecycle of the system, etc.

For the moment, no supplier has been found to fulfill all needs and drafting of a solution has not begun. It is time for Yves to begin seeking the “pearl of great value” with the ability to rapidly produce an operational solution, delivered on time, with the appropriate characteristics.

A rapid summary of the status quo shows us that:

– the identification of requirements remains incomplete but has reached an acceptable level. Progress can be measured objectively using the established framework for direction (see ...

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