Requests often arrive as solutions
A client says:
We need a mobile application for attendance.
The sentence already chooses a solution. It does not explain the current problem or the desired result.
Use three separate statements
Need
The useful outcome a person or organization wants.
Teachers need a fast and reliable way to record attendance during class.
Problem
The obstacle preventing that outcome today.
Paper attendance takes too long, records are difficult to consolidate and corrections have no clear history.
Solution
One possible response to the problem.
A responsive Web application that works on teachers’ existing phones and computers.
The solution may change after analysis. The need should remain understandable without mentioning a technology.
The five whys
Ask “why?” several times to move from a requested feature toward its purpose.
The name does not require exactly five questions. Stop when you reach a useful underlying cause or when the next answer would only be an unsupported assumption. The goal is understanding, not reaching a fixed number.
Request: Add PDF export.
Why? The manager sends a report every Friday.
Why? The finance team needs weekly totals.
Why? They compare actual spending with the budget.
The real need may be weekly budget visibility. A dashboard or scheduled report might solve it better than manual PDF export.
Activity: reframe a request
Request: “Create a chatbot for student questions.”
Write:
- The possible users
- The current problem
- The desired outcome
- Three questions you need answered
- Two possible solutions, including one without a chatbot
Students may be unable to find reliable answers about deadlines and procedures. The desired outcome is quicker access to verified information. Before choosing a chatbot, ask which questions repeat, who validates answers and how often information changes. Possible solutions include a searchable knowledge base or a chatbot connected to validated institutional content.
Warning sign
If the project starts with a technology name but cannot clearly state the user, problem and measurable outcome, analysis is not finished.
What you learned
- A request may describe a preferred solution rather than the underlying need.
- A need describes the desired outcome, while a problem describes the obstacle.
- Several solutions can address the same need.
- Asking why helps uncover the value behind a requested feature.
Knowledge check
- Is “We need a mobile application” a need or a solution?
- Why should a need avoid technology names?
- Give one alternative to building a chatbot for repeated student questions.
- It is a proposed solution because it already selects the form of the product.
- A technology-independent need allows the team to compare different solutions and choose according to evidence and constraints.
- A searchable and regularly maintained knowledge base is one valid alternative.