Requirements Definition - Statements

The nuts and bolts of your requirements are the Statements. Statements specify what must be accomplished to satisfy a requirement. They consist of Results (or outputs), Contexts, and Actions.

The ARRT Requirements Definition helps you build well written, succinct, and easily understood Statements to achieve your goals and requirements.


Statement Assistant



The ARRT Requirements Definition Statement Assistant page uses a methodology for writing Statements that consists of three components: Results, Contexts, and Actions. From here you can create or edit a Statement's components.

There are three methods to adding components to a Statement:

  • Manually typing in Results, Contexts, and Actions
    • Type your Result/Context/Action in the box next to the "Add" button. As you type, built-in options may appear. Once you have completed typing, use the "Enter" key on your keyboard or click the "Add" button. If you add your own custom Result/Context/Action to the tool, it will be stored in the database for future use. Add as many Results/Contexts/Actions as necessary to fully describe your requirement.
  • Picking components from the dropdown list
    • Click the dropdown arrow to see an alphabetized list. Select the Result/Context/Action you want to use and click the "Add" button.
  • Selecting components from the Samples page
    • Click the "Sample" button in each section. A new window will appear that allows you to select multiple Results/Contexts/Actions in a pick-list fashion.

Other functionality in the component sections includes the following:

  • "Edit" button - opens a dialog so you can edit a Result/Context/Action to customize it to fully fit your Task requirement.
  • Up and Down arrows - change the order of your component in your Statement.
  • "Delete" button - removes a Result/Context/Action from the Task.

Functionality on the remainder of the page includes the following:

  • "Save" button - saves the changes you made.
  • "Cancel" button - discards any changes you have made to the Statement and navigates back to the Requirements Definition page.
  • "New" button - saves the current Statement you are working on and creates a new Statement.
  • Classification Level (when appropriate) - select the Classification level for this Requirement. When clicking the dropdown box, you will only be able to make a selection that is equal to or lower than the assigned Project classification.
  • "Add 'The Contractor Shall' " checkbox - add the phrase "The Contractor Shall" to the beginning of your Statement.
  • "Complete" checkbox - click this if you are 100% satisfied with the Task statement you have created. The tool will track your Tasks to help ensure that your Work Products are complete.
  • "Apply" button - changes automatically appear in the grey Generated Task Statement box and the "Apply" button will turn yellow. You must click the "Apply" button to transfer the changes to the actual Task statement. The statement is editable in the white Task Statement box.
  • "Comments" button - opens the Comments dialog where you can provide notes specific to this Statement. The number beside the notepad icon refers to the number of Comments available on this topic.
  • "Whiteboard" button - the Whiteboard is a handy location where you can record notes to yourself or other users for reference. This data is not visible in any of the finished products that the tool creates.
  • "Change Log" button - opens the Change Log to review a list of data modifications specific to these Statements.
  • Process Flow
    • Up Arrow - navigates to the previous Statement in the Requirements Definition Tree.
    • Left Arrow - navigates to the Requirements Definition page.
    • "Where Am I" button - displays where you are in the process flow.
    • Right Arrow - navigates to the Standards Assistant page.
    • Down Arrow - navigates to the next Statement in the Requirements Definition Tree.



Results Samples




To select Results from a list of categorized samples, click the "Sample Results" button. A new window will appear that allows you to select multiple Results in a pick-list fashion. To add existing Results to your Statement, use the following sequence:

  • Choose a Category and Subcategory in the appropriate columns to view related Results.
  • "Show All" button - click to view an unfiltered list of Results.
  • Select the Result you want to use by clicking on it. You may select multiple Results by holding down the "Ctrl" button on your keyboard.
  • After making your selection(s), click the "Add Selected Result(s) and Close" button.
  • Please note: an ideal Statement contains no more than five Results. You may select more, but you will be asked to confirm this option.




Context Samples



To select a Context from a list of samples, click the "Sample Contexts" button. A new window will appear that allows you to select multiple Contexts in a pick-list fashion. To add existing Contexts to your Statement, use the following sequence:

  • Select the Context you want to use by clicking on it. You may select multiple Contexts by holding down the "Ctrl" button on your keyboard.
  • After making your selection(s), click the "Add Selected Context(s) and Close" button.




Action Samples



To select an Action from a list of samples, click the "Sample Actions" button. A new window will appear that allows you to select multiple Actions in a pick-list fashion. To add existing Actions to your Statement, use the following sequence:

  • Select the Action you want to use by clicking on it. You may select multiple Actions by holding down the "Ctrl" button on your keyboard.
  • After making your selection(s), click the "Add Selected Action(s) and Close" button.



Statement Comparison



If your Auto-Generated Statement and your Accepted Statement do not match, you will be asked which statement you want to keep as your preferred Statement on the Statement Comparison screen.

The tool will show you the two Statements. Using the radio buttons, select the Statement you want to use and then click the "Save Choice" button.





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