Requirements and Measures Tree
The requirements and measures tree is a method for organizing customers, customer requirements, and related data for a product or service. The tree allows for a vsual representation of the relationships between these elements.
To visually represent a process's requirements, measures, and their relationships.
To organize complex requirements.
To make sure customer needs are being met during a design process.
1. IDENTIFY ONE PROCESS OUTPUT. Put it on a sticky-note and add the note to the top of your page.
2. IDENTIFY ALL CUSTOMERS of the identified output. Put each customer on a sticky note and add it to the page underneath the output.
3. For each customer, IDENTIFY ALL REQUIREMENTS. Be specific and use operational definitions. Put each requirement on a sticky note and put the note on the page beneath the customer.
4. If you feel it is necessary, REORGANIZE THE REQUIREMENTS. Draw lines between customers and requirements to show the connections.
5. For each requirement, BRAINSTORM POTENTIAL MEASUREMENTS. After developing a list, discuss the measures and evaluate them. Reduce the list to a reasonable number.
Conveys relationships between users, their requirements, and performance measures.
May be difficult to develop measurements for certain services or processes.
Lighter D. Process orientation in health care quality. In: Moore C, editor. Quality management in health care: principles and methods. 2nd ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers; 2004. p. 43-101.
Tague N. The tools. In: O'Mara P, editor. The quality toolbox. 2nd ed. Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Quality Press; 2005. p. 93-521.