Specifying the Product

In this part of the tutorial, we will go through one of the primary user flows that can get you started using Requirements & Systems Portal:

• Gather and write requirements

• Breakdown requirements

• Review and improve requirements

• Approve and release specifications

Creating a New Project Copy Link Copied

1. Click the Project drop-down menu at the top left and click the  button.

   

2. The Quickstart page that opens allows you to create a project in various ways. For this tutorial, click the  button in the Empty project tile.

   

3. On the project setup page that opens, enter a suitable (and unique) project name (e.g., Valifan) into the Project name field. Leave the default value in the Permissions drop-down and click the  button.

   

4. Navigate to the Project Module by clicking the  icon in the Module Navigation bar on the left and select the About entry in the Overview list. From here, you can add additional information about your project (e.g., Description) and also change the name of your project at any time.

   
   Basic project information, such as name, description, image, and start and end date, is available on the About Project page.

   You can always collapse or expand the main navigation pane by clicking the arrow button next to it ().

Defining Stakeholder Requirements Copy Link Copied

Most system design and development follow the V cycle. The first process in a V cycle is understanding the business needs and identifying the needs of stakeholders. These stakeholder needs are then converted to stakeholder requirements that can be directly created, imported through CSV/XLSX, or even created through the AI-powered ValiAssistant. For this part of the tutorial, we will focus on the import method.

1. Download the following CSV file that contains stakeholder requirements:

   Valifan_stakeholder_Requirements.csv

2. Navigate to the Requirements Module by clicking the  icon in the Module Navigation bar on the left.

3. Click the  button on the page that opens.

   

4. The Import Requirements wizard will open. In the Create a specification region, define the Name of the specification (e.g.,Stakeholder_requirements) and then click the  button.

   

5. The next step is to upload the CSV so that the import wizard can read and import the file. Drag and drop the downloaded CSV file into the Drop file region of the Import Requirements wizard (or click the region to upload the file using a dialog).

   

    Click  to proceed.

6. On the next step, make sure that data columns from the CSV file are correctly mapped to column in Requirements and Systems Portal. If required, use Map To drop-downs at the top of the table. 

   

   Click  to proceed.

7. The next page of the wizard will notify you about successful import. Click the Check now control at the top of the window to convert values and units into parameters (valis), following a data driven system engineering approach.

   

8. In the Valify Requirements window that opens, you will be notified that the five requirements are going to be valified. Click  to proceed and get a notification that two valis has been found. Click  to proceed and then click .

   

9. As you can see, 50 dB and 50 W have been transformed from a pure text into valis that we can use later.

   

   Close the Valify Requirements window to proceed. All requirements have been added, and all detected values have been transformed into valis. Valis are highlighted in the requirements.

   

Adding System Requirements Copy Link Copied

In a typical system engineering flow, system requirements are created using stakeholder requirements. Most technical designs must adhere to strict requirements, such as requirements to mass, power usage, and cost. Requirements & Systems Portal provides a comprehensive view of how well a design meets all these requirements.

Now, we will create some system requirements manually.

1. Click the  button. In the Create new specification window that appears, enter Fan_Specs in the Name field and click .

   

2. Click the entry of the newly created specification in the left-hand side list. When in this specification, the  button (alternatively, click the  button at the top right).

   

3. The Create new requirement window will open. In this window:

   1. In the Specification field, make sure that the correct specification is selected (Fan_Specs).

   2. In the Identifier field, enter a unique identifier, e.g., R-Fan-001.

   3. In the Requirement text field, enter The Mass of the fan shall not exceed 300g.

   4. Make sure that the Check for possible Valis option is enabled.

      When this option is enabled, numeric values within the requirement are checked and converted directly into valis through the Valify feature.

   5. Click the  button.

   

4. In the Valify Requirements window that appears, click the  button. A vali will be found in the requirement. Click the  button to convert the value to a vali, then click the  button to proceed, and then click the  button to complete the process.

5. Similarly, add another requirement with an identifier R-Fan-002 and the requirement text The Mass of the propeller shall not exceed 50g, but this time, disable the Check for possible Valis option (a vali will be manually created from a value within this requirement later).

   

6. The added requirements will be listed when the Fan_Specs specification is selected. Note that while R-Fan-001 has a vali, R-Fan-002 does not have a vali yet.

   

Creating Requirement Valis within a Requirement Copy Link Copied

Now, we will manually create a new vali inside the requirement text field.

1. Double-click the cell in the Text column of the requirement R-Fan-002 and delete the 50g text.

   

2. Type $ to show a popup with a list of valis/objects inside the project. On the top right of the popup, click the  button to create a vali.

   

3. In the Create new window that opens. On the Vali tab of the window, enter the following data for the new vali:

   1. Name: Req_Mass_Propeller

   2. Formula and unit: 50g

   3. Display unit: g

      The Display unit field is optional. If left empty, it will get the unit from the Formula and unit field.

   

4. Click the  button to create a new vali and insert it into the Text field of the requirement.

5. Now, the 50g text appears differently from the regular text, which indicates a vali. This vali can now be used in different parts of the project (e.g. reports, System Design Module, verification etc.).

   

Breaking Down Requirements with Parent and Child Relationships Copy Link Copied

1. Click the Columns control at the right of the table and make sure that entries for the Parents and Children columns are checked so they are shown in the table.

   

   Click the Columns control again to hide the list.

2. Double-click the cell in the Parent column of the requirement R-Fan-002 and select the requirement R-Fan-001 from the popup to link both requirements. Note that R-Fan-002 will automatically be added to the Children column of R-Fan-001.

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3. Click the  button at the top of the requirements table to open a connection graph that shows the parent-child relationship of the selected specification.

   Blue boxes around the requirements indicated the specification they are in.

   

Generating Requirements Using ValiAssitant Copy Link Copied

 To accelerate your requirement management process, you can generate requirements/breakdown requirements using an AI ValiAssistant feature. We will use it to create two safety requirements for the tutorial project.

1. Click the  button at the top to open the ValiAssistant - Generate Requirements window.

   

   The feature suggests different options of using the AI on the requirements, including generating requirements, breaking requirements down, creating summary, valifying requirements, finding inconsistencies, etc.

   Make sure that the Generate Requirements option is selected and click the  button.

2. On the next page, you can describe your product, system, subsystem and give as much information as possible so the AI can come up with the best requirements to your description. Since we are interested in safety requirements, ask for two safety requirements for our fan by entering the Create 2 safety requirements for designing a fan text into the field under the Generate Description heading.

   In the text field under the Customize ValiAssistant output heading, you can customize the prompt further. We are looking for INCOSE written requirements, enter the Apply the INCOSE guide to writing requirements text into the field.

   

   Click  to proceed.

3. On the next page, the output of the AI will be presented, and you can review, change, and accept or reject any suggestions.

   

   Click  to proceed.

4. Close the dialog that informs you about successful generating of requirements. The generated requirements will be shown in the table of the Fan_Spec specification.

   

Updating, Managing, and Reviewing Requirements Copy Link Copied

Throughout the development process, it's common for requirements to evolve and be updated based on various factors, such as stakeholder input and design constraints. In Requirements & Systems Portal, you can directly update requirements by double-clicking on the column fields or within the details section of the requirement, and all changes are recorded in the history for easy reference.

1. Enter editing mode for the text of the requirement R-Fan-003 or R-Fan-004 by double-clicking its cell in the Text column. Change the text to The fan shall include a protective guard with openings no larger than inches to prevent accidental contact with moving parts. and press Enter or click somewhere in the table outside of the cell to finish editing.

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2. Click the requirement identifier to open the requirement's detailed view from where you can adjust additional fields, subscribe, define owners, add a rationale, create parent/children, etc.

   

3. Traceability is a key concept of Requirements & Systems Portal, and all changes are tracked in history of requirements and other objects. Click History to open a view that gives you information on versions, who and when made a change, fields and actions.

   

Creating Discussions on a Requirement Copy Link Copied

Collaboration and reviews are crucial to ensure the requirements are thoroughly discussed and evaluated. Requirements & Systems Portal offers powerful features like discussions, tasks, and the review center to facilitate these crucial steps.

In this part of the tutorial, you will see how you can effectively utilize discussions to engage in meaningful conversations with your groups or colleagues, fostering collaboration and ensuring the best possible outcome for your project.

1. Click the  button in the Identifier field of the requirement R-Fan-002 and select Add » Discussion command from the menu that appears.

   

2. The Discussions relating to window will open. In this window, you can view all discussions, comment on existing discussions, and start new ones. Type @ in the window's text field to show a drop-down list of users.

   

3. Select any user from the list (the tagged user will receive a notification) and add the following text: Is it feasible to have propellers for 50g, or do we need more mass allocation?

   

4. Click  and then  in the Discussions relating to window. The discussion will be added, and the  icon will be shown in the specifications table.

   

5. Click the  icon at the top of the page to open the Discussions pane from where you have access to all discussions on the specification or on the whole Module. Discussions can be raised on virtually any object in Requirements & Systems Portal.

   

Validating Requirements Copy Link Copied

In the early stages of the product lifecycle, it is crucial to validate requirements before moving forward with the design process. Requirements & Systems Portal provides a convenient way to manage requirement states using the State column. By default, states like Draft, In Review, and Final are included, but you can add additional states based on their specific needs.

In this part of the tutorial, you will assign the Draft state to newly added requirements, ensuring a structured and organized workflow.

1. When in the Fan_Spec specification, click the Columns control at the right of the table and make sure that the entry for the State column is checked so it is shown in the table.

   

2. Check the box at the left of the Identifier column header to select all requirements within the specification.

   

3. Double-click a cell in the State column to open a drop-down with available options for the state.

   

4. Select Draft in the drop-down and confirm the update. All requirements will have the Draft state.

   

Creating an Analysis/Documentation Copy Link Copied

As an engineer, you might have to create an analysis to leverage your engineering data and document the properties of your design. Requirements & Systems Portal allows you to create internal documentation where you can pull in and reference the required data.

In this part of the tutorial, you will add a descriptive analysis using the Analyses Module.

1. Navigate to the Analyses Module by clicking the ​ icon in the Module Navigation bar on the left.

2. Click the  button on the page that opens to create a new analysis. In the Create Document window that opens, enter Project_Summary into the Document Name field and click .

   

3. A new analysis will open.

   Using the  button in the left-hand navigation pane, you can create a folder to organize your reports.

   An analysis consists of blocks, which can be texts, images, videos, charts, or tables. Click within the existing 1. Write heading... block and type Introduction.

   

4. Click within the existing Write text... block and add the following sentence into it: The ValiFan is designed in a way that it works with less power than conventional Fans.

   

5. Click outside of the block to save the content.

6. Additional blocks of different types (text, images, references to requirements and valis, budgets, graphs, or charts) can be added. We will create a table of requirements from the stakeholder specifications. Click the Click to add new block control and in the Add Block window that opens, expand the Table entry and select Requirements.

   

7. A table that shows all of the requirements in your project will be added. Let's see how we can show only requirement related to the stakeholder specification. To do this, hover the cursor over the Text column header and click the  icon that appears.

   

8. In the popup that opens, click the  icon to show a list of available columns. Deselect all column entries in the list and select only Text and Specification entries.

   

9. Hover the cursor over the Specification column header, click the  icon, and then click the  icon in the popup that appears to access filter options. Disable the Fan_Specs specification entry and keep the Stakeholder_requirements entry enabled.

   

10. Now, only requirements of the Stakeholder_requirements specification are shown. Filters can be applied for any column, providing flexibility when representing requirements. 

    

11. You can share the created analysis with your colleagues or stakeholders or anyone outside of Requirements & Systems Portal. To do this, click the  button at the top right of the page and select Share from the menu that appears. In the Share analysis window that opens, select any user from the View as drop-down and click the  button. This creates a new link which you can copy and share.

    

    • The shared analysis is a web view of the document that is created in Requirements & Systems Portal and stays up to date with the latest changes.

    • The web view can be accessed by anybody, without gaining access to your Workspace.