Task: Identify Relevant COTS Packages and Vendors
This task focuses on identifying relevant COTS Packages and Vendors.
Disciplines: Requirements
Purpose
  • To understand, in general, how COTS packages and vendors under consideration differ in how they approach the critical use cases and critical non-functional requirements with the boundaries of candidate solutions
  • To focus on large-scale market dynamics rather than in-depth analysis of individual COTS packages or vendors
Relationships
Steps
Identify Relevant COTS Package Sources

At this point, it is not important to learn as much as possible about each COTS package and vendor (that will be done in the elaboration phase) but to understand, in general, how COTS packages and vendors under consideration differ in how they approach the critical use cases and critical nonfunctional requirements within the boundaries of candidate solutions.

Look for any market trends that might affect either the architecture or the user business processes in the solution. Consider vendors' long-term support of the COTS packages used in the relevant market segments (technology maturity, component obsolescence, vendors going out of business, buy-outs, and so forth). In addition, look for COTS packages that might drive the definition of the solution.

This is accomplished by the following:

  • Identifying market segments solving similar problems and requiring similar capabilities to those needed for this solution
  • Determining the size and distribution of each relevant market segment
  • Identifying organizations that have similar needs for COTS packages
  • Identifying and understanding the behavior of similar organizations in terms of their needs, their user business processes, and their use of available technologies and COTS packages
  • Identifying candidate technologies that are applicable and the leading COTS packages in each technology area

Then, using the Market Segment Information, recording the:

  • Market segments solving similar problems and requiring similar capabilities to those needed for this solution
  • Size and distribution of each relevant market segment
  • Organizations that have similar needs for COTS packages
  • Behavior of similar organizations in terms of their needs, their user business processes, and their use of available technologies and COTS packages
  • Candidate technologies that are applicable and the leading COTS packages in each technology area

Optionally, in order to help identify relevant COTS package sources, an Request For Information (RFI) could be produced and sent to identified vendors. Vendors would then be invited to demonstrate their COTS package in the context of an evaluation workshop (see the tasks Prepare for Vendor/COTS Package Evaluation Workshop , Conduct Vendor/COTS Package Evaluation Workshop.)

Characterize COTS Package
Capture preliminary information that represents the state of knowledge about a COTS package using the COTS Package Dossier.
Characterize Vendor
Capture preliminary information on how vendors differentiate themselves from each other, what competitive forces drive this market segment, what typical relationships vendors have with their buyers, and what types of contracts and licenses are common using the Vendor Dossier.
Identify COTS Package Screening Criteria

As the project proceeds, new or changed COTS packages and candidate solutions will be introduced, which must be screened based on current screening criteria. Capture COTS package screening criteria and rational in the COTS Package Screening Criteria and Rationale.

Early in the inception phase, the COTS package screening criteria contains primarily basic COTS package and candidate solution capabilities, vendor viability, and COTS package and candidate solution scalability. As understanding grows regarding the stakeholder's needs and the solution, the COTS package screening criteria need to evolve to include criteria used by previous screening to eliminate other COTS packages and candidate solutions from consideration.

Screen COTS packages against this preliminary screening criteria, capturing the rationale for removing any COTS package from further consideration in the COTS Package Dossier.