Customer Self-Service WebRequirements Document

Overview

Instructions: Provide the purpose of the Requirements Document (RD) for this particular software project.

The intention of this RD is to provide the high-level customer requirements for the Customer Service Web project. The Customer Self-Service Web project has three primary goals: (1) Internet self-service transaction processing for external customer support case tracking and reporting; (2) internal customer service management metrics reporting; and, (3) customer profile data access.

Problem Summary

Instructions: Summarize the basic problem customers will face. Provide specifics if the focus of this project is oriented towards a specific customer’s business scenario. Use the information gathered for the Customer Requirements Surveys as a starting point for this section and the sections to follow.

Numerous customers using client-server and legacy based customer call tracking software are faced with a number of scalability, tracking, and reporting limitations as well as increasing implementation and maintenance costs.

The Customer Self-Service Web project resolves the customers’ problems introduced by client-server and legacy products, by offering a Web-based solution alternative that is easily scalable, provides enhanced tracking and reporting capabilities, while minimizing implementation and ongoing maintenance costs.

Project Objectives

Instructions: Write a statement in clear and simple terms stating the primary goals and objectives for the project.

The three primary objectives of implementing the Customer Self-Service Web software project at Problematic are as follows:

  • Replace customers’ existing client-server and legacy customer call tracking systems with Web-based technologies
  • Enhance scalability to increasing customer base
  • Reduce implementation and ongoing maintenance costs

Major Required Features

Instructions: List the high-level software requirements requested by customers needed to solve their problem. It’s an excellent idea to assign priorities to each requirement such as High (H), Medium (M), and Low (L).

The primary required features the Customer Self-Service Web software at Problematic are as summarized in Table 1 and further described in the following sections.

Table 1. Product Features and Priorities.

Priority / Feature
H / Create Web-based customer case tracking entry form
H / Change existing case records, as needs arise, via Web-based interface
H / Provide key customer profile information
H / Ability to search and retrieve existing records according to key criteria
M / Generate internal case management reports
M / Provide external case tracking summary reports for customers
L / Computer-Telephone-Interactive (CTI) interface
M / Generate e-mail notifications when new cases are opened
M / Provide auto-escalation and approval workflow functions

Case Tracking and Retrieval Transactions

Case tracking entry. Both Marketing and our customers have identified the most important feature of this project is to enable our customers’ users to create new case records by entering the data via a Web-based form accessible through their Internet browser. Part of the development team’s effort will be to map the Web form fields of the Customer Self-Service Web application to the corresponding fields on the tables of each customer’s existing back-office customer service system. The development of this feature must be completed during Phase I. Users will enter data including their name, telephone number, e-mail address, company name, detailed description of the problem, and the priority of high, medium, or low.

Update and correction. The second highest feature on the wish list is the user’s ability to update changes and corrections to data on existing case records. This should be a “no-brainer” after the development team writes the system specifications for the record creation form and back-end data model.

Customer profiles. The customer profiles include pertinent contact information, such as customer name, customer identification number, employee contact names, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, shipping addresses, and so on. Profile data will be made accessible for each customer in your customers’ back-office databases. To have customer profiles accessible through the Web interface, there will need to be a mapping of the fields to the back-office tables.

Search and retrieval. The ability of the user to search and retrieve case records by customer name, date, and other criteria was also a feature high on the charts. The development team needs to map the Web search function against the back-office system.

Table 2. Product Component Deliverables

Transaction / Result / UI Access
Customer enters issue in case tracking form / Customer case header and initial case form display and entry are created. / Navigation menu via Web access
Save case tracking data / Case tracking data can be saved multiple times. / Input form
Submit case update form to customer service / Status is submitted via email auto-notification to customer service staff is initiated. / Update form
Update/correct data for existing cases / Case is processed and customer service is notified via auto-notification email. / Inbox/form button
Store/retrieve customer profile information / Map Web user interface to back-office database fields. / Navigation menu via Web access
Auto-escalate case to development / Case escalated and assigned to development manager. / Inbox/form button
External case searching and retrieval / Search by date range/status. Customer can only search own cases. / Main customer menu (extranet)

Case Tracking Reports

Tracking and reporting. One of the hallmarks of a world-class customer support organization is the ability to respond to and resolve customers’ issues quickly and effectively. Effective tracking and reporting mechanisms are the tools management uses to keep a pulse on the case backlog. There are a number of ways to provide tracking and reporting, as illustrated in Tables 3 and 4. The project team needs to evaluate the alternatives and pick the optimal solution.

Table 3. External Reporting Deliverables.

Report / Result / UI Access
External case tracking reporting for each customer / Report display customer can review only their cases. / Main Customer Web search engine

Table 4. Internal Reporting Deliverables.

Report / Result / UI Access
Case Aging Reports / Cases are established and maintained. / Navigation Menu
Metrics Reports / Various statistical report listings. / Navigation Menu
Staff Schedule / Telephone schedules are established. / Navigation Menu

Environments/Platforms

Instructions: Provide a listing of all the hardware/software platforms targeted for your customer base, which will be Software Quality Assurance (SQA) certified and/or supported.

The targeted Software Quality Assurance (SQA) certified and/or supported customer environments/platforms for the Customer Self-Service Web software project:

  • Web Servers: Netscape and IIS
  • Databases: Oracle, Sybase, SQL Server, and Informix
  • Operating Systems: Windows NT, Linux, Sun Solaris, and HP-UX
  • Web Browsers: MS IE (Win 95, 98, NT, Mac) and Netscape Navigator (Win 95, 98, NT, Unix)

Ease of Operability

Instructions: Explain how your software will address the users’ needs of “user friendliness.”

The primary user interface for Customer Self-Service Web is the familiar and ubiquitous Web browser. Customers and their users will be able to build upon their present knowledge of the Web interface to access and actualize their customer service program. The low learning curve and familiar interface will directly address most user friendliness issues.

Compatibility/Integration/Migration

Instructions: State how your software is compatible with prior releases of your product suite (if applicable).

The Customer Self-Service Web is a new product, so compatibility and migration are not an issue. Even though some of the technologies envisioned for use in the product are the same as those used in some other Problematics products, there is no overlap between this product and our existing products. Therefore, integration is not an issue at this time.

Documentation/Training

Instructions: List the key publications required for this project, which will be the subject of the Technical Publications Plan. Also, identify which courseware and course content are required from the Training department to get users up to speed on the software.

The documentation for the Customer Self-Service Web software project will include the following:

  • Installation instructions
  • Release Notes
  • User Guide
  • Implementation and Adaptation Guide
  • Customer Acceptance Test Procedure

Support/Maintenance

Instructions: Provide a proposed 24x7 support and maintenance plan for customers after the Generally Available (GA) software release.

Customer service is often a critical mission for our customers. Our support effort needs to meet or exceed that of our customers. This requires 24x7 support be available. Differing support levels can be handled as an income item for our company. Specifics can fit into our existing support matrix for other Problematics products.

Pricing/Licensing

Instructions: Provide any special considerations which will affect the development of legal terms for pricing and/or licensing by the legal department.

None known.

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