In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:
- Develop a system requirements specification
Scenario
You are employed as a systems engineer at Millennia HealthCenter (MHC), an organization in the healthcare industry that offers patient care in person and online. MHC will be implementing a new software system within the next three years, and you are the systems engineer leading the project. The software system that Millennia HealthCenter currently uses has several problems, as described in the business case document (see Supporting Materials section). MHC’s technical problems are reducing efficiencies, accuracies, and the quality of patient care. The vision and the ultimate goal of MHC is to effectively improve the patient’s health and well-being through innovative approaches in health information technology. The question is: as a systems engineer on this project, how will you design a new system to improve the patient’s experience?
To design a new system to sustain the vision of MHC, you will create a system requirements specification (SRS) document. The SRS will determine all aspects of the system that need to be considered prior to the start of the development process, from the perspective of the stakeholders. As you create this document, you will also have to make ethical decisions that consider legal, organizational, and industry considerations.
Directions
- Review all of the details of the software system outlined in the business case.
- Be sure to read through the entire case. You will refer to its specifics throughout your SRS, and you do not want to miss any important information.
- Also in the Supporting Materials section:
- Watch all of the interviews with the stakeholders who will be using the software system once it is implemented.
- Review the codes of ethics for the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
- Review the security guidelines regarding the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) regulations.
- Read the Workflow of Existing System and Processes document.
- Download the System Requirements Specification Template, and develop its content.
- Fill out the sections in the template that apply to the specific system that is described in the scenario.
- If you believe that a section does not apply to the system within the scenario, enter “Does not apply.”
- Provide a brief rationale as to why you believe that the section does not apply.
- Your system requirements specification must include:
- Anintroduction, which may include:
- System purpose
- System scope
- System overview
- System context
- System functions
- User characteristics
- A description offunctional system requirementsthat clearly explains how the functionality addresses the problem statement within the business case and meets the organizational vision
- A description of thenon-functional requirements, which includes:
- Usability requirements
- Performance requirements
- A description ofother requirements, which may include:
- System interface
- System operations
- System modes and states
- Physical characteristics
- Environmental conditions
- As you complete these sections of your SRS, pay particular attention to the interviews with stakeholders referred to in the Supporting Materials section of this document. Since you do not have access to the actual end users and other stakeholders of the system, you may use your judgment in specifying the precise nature of the capabilities that the users will need. If you have questions about system functions, you should research the nature of the user’s work, and you may also want to use your instructor as a resource.
- As you develop the SRS, you will demonstrate how to make ethical decisions. Your SRS must also include:
- An explanation of thesystem security requirements, which includes how the system will need to sustain proper levels of security
- A section oninformation management requirements, which determines how the system will need to manage and encrypt information between its databases, interaction with other systems, and interfaces, while considering the ethics ofprivacy
- An explanation as to how the system must comply with organizational and federalpolicies and regulations requirements(e.g., HIPAA compliance)
- An application of the ethical considerations throughout the SRS by addressing thecodes of ethicsfor ACM and IEEE
- After you have completed your SRS, submit your work for grading.
What to Submit
To complete this project, you must submit the following:
System Requirements Specification
Upload your SRS document, using the System Requirements SpecificationTemplate, in .doc or PDF format.
Supporting Materials
The following resource(s) may help support your work on the project:
Business Case for Millennia HealthCenter
This resource will provide you with context for Millennia HealthCenter, including the organizational background, the problems with the current system, and the vision of the new system. Without understanding the situational context, you will find it impossible to design a system that meets organizational needs.
Interviews with Stakeholders: [Doctor]
Interviews with Stakeholders: [Nurse]
Interviews with Stakeholders: [Business Admin]
Interviews with Stakeholders: [Pharmacist]
For text versions of these interviews,click here.
These interviews with the stakeholders will provide you with more context on how the current system functions and how the new system should function. It is valuable to hear the perspectives of the doctor, nurses, business admin, and pharmacist because they will be the ones using the new software system.
Code of Ethics for the ACM
This resource directs you to the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. As you develop your SRS, you will also have to abide by the ethics and conduct guidelines set forth by the ACM, a well-established organization that sets general ethical principles that technical professionals should consider.
Code of Ethics for the IEEE
This resource directs you to the IEEE Code of Ethics. As you develop your SRS, you will have to abide by the ethics set forth by the IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization for the advancement of technology. The IEEE establishes policies and standards that technical professionals should consider.
Summary of the HIPAA Security Rule
This resource reminds you of the importance of complying with the federal regulations for HIPAA.
Workflow of Existing System and Processes
This document captures the workflow of the existing system and MHC’s organizational processes. Read this resource to be informed about how the current system functions. As you develop the SRS for the new system, it is important that you understand the capabilities of the current system, how it currently runs, and how users engage with its features.
System Requirements Specification Template
Use this template to complete this project. The template will guide you through all of the sections that you typically find in a standardized SRS document. This file will download as a .doc file onto your computer. As you make progress on it, be sure to save it every now and then.