Special Needs

Here is a real-life example that illustrates the value of documenting special needs in detail.

A customer was trying to replace an outdated custom-made system that had an "escort light" feature. Here is how it worked. When the user presented a valid security card, a set of indicator lights mounted near the guard post would indicate whether or not the user (a) required an escort, (b) was allowed to drive a vehicle onto the property, (c) could escort others, and (d) was allowed to carry a weapon. The customer tried in vain to find a system that offered an "escort light feature".

However, when it was explained to one of the vendors exactly how the feature worked, he determined that his system's elevator control feature could be used to control the escort lights (instead of activating elevator floor buttons).

It turned out that using the elevator control feature meant that the escort light functionality could be easily expanded to match the customer's wish list for that feature, which was an unexpected benefit.