Task: Recommend Solution
This task focuses on recommending solutions.
Disciplines: Project Management
Purpose
  • To compare candidate solutions and make a recommendation
Relationships
RolesPrimary Performer: Additional Performers:
InputsMandatory:
  • None
Optional:
    Outputs
      Steps
      Compare Candidate Solutions

      If there is more than one relevant candidate solution under consideration, candidate solutions are compared to each other in order to identify the one(s) that best supports the needed changes to the user business processes and satisfies the needs of the most critical use cases and nonfunctional requirements, architectural and design constraints, and project management constraints with reasonable risks. To that end, an analysis and comparison of the individual candidate solution(s) is performed using the Cumulative Candidate Solution Evaluation Summary.

      Prepare and Document Recommendation

      At the end of an iteration in the inception phase, one or several candidate solutions might be recommended to be further investigated in the elaboration phase. A final recommendation might be made in the inception phase once each candidate solution is refined (and documented in its Solution Dossier) to the following point: A vision of the solution is articulated; implications for the user business process are identified with preliminary stakeholder agreement to implement the changes, the top-level design considerations are understood, and the solution realization has been proven feasible.

      One or several candidate solutions might be recommended to be further investigated in another iteration of the elaboration phase or, a recommendation for a single final solution might be made at the end of an iteration of the elaboration phase.

      A final recommendation is made only when all the stakeholders agree that one solution, among the candidate solutions, is the one feasible solution that:

      • Best supports the needed changes to the user business processes
      • Best meets the demands of the critical use cases and nonfunctional requirements
      • Best meets project management constraints (time, money, people, scope, and so forth) with reasonable risk
      • Demonstrates sufficient stability in design and architecture and addresses architectural constraints with reasonable risk

      The final recommendation includes a proposal to acquire the COTS packages needed to form the selected solution and to implement this solution in the construction phase. It includes the rationale for choosing one solution and rejecting the other candidate solutions.