Welcome to the Information Management Requirements Development Tool, referred to as the "tool" from this point on. This tool is intended to help users define the requirements of an information management system to be used in a Water Quality Surveillance and Response System (SRS), thereby preparing them to select and implement an information management solution.

Note that this tool can be used to establish requirements regardless of information management system complexity and the number of components being implemented. Some information management systems may include advanced features and may synthesize information from multiple SRS components. Others may have only basic functionality and be used by only one component. Regardless, it is important to define information system requirements to ensure that all user needs are met.


 
The Water Security Division of the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water has reviewed and approved this product for publication. This product does not impose legally binding requirements on any party. The information in this product is intended solely to recommend or suggest and does not imply any requirements. Neither the U.S. Government nor any of its employees, contractors or their employees make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for any third party's use of any information, product or process discussed in this product, or represents that its use by such party would not infringe on privately owned rights. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
The questions and answers below provide general background information about the SRS information management system and the purpose and navigational features of the tool.

open What is an SRS information management system?

An SRS information management system is the combination of data management systems, tools and processes that collectively manage data generated by the SRS and provide users with the information needed to monitor water quality conditions in a drinking water distribution system. An SRS information management system can range in complexity from a dashboard that integrates data from multiple components to a relatively simple interface supporting a single SRS component. Regardless of system complexity, it is important to clearly define system requirements to guide the design or selection of an information management system and ensure that the needs of system users are met.

open What is the purpose of the tool?

This tool is intended to help users define the requirements of an information management system used in an SRS. Specifically, this tool:

open How do I navigate through the tool?

There are two standard buttons on every screen – the Home button and the More button. The Home button brings you back to the initial screen where the desired function is selected, allowing you to move to a different module. The More button provides links to additional resources: a glossary of terms and list of acronyms used in the tool, a Contacts screen which includes instructions for submitting questions or comments about the tool to EPA, and an About screen which provides basic technical information about the tool.

The core modules of the tool consist of interactive screens organized into tabs (as shown in the screen shot below), each containing questions intended to help a user define a specific aspect of information management system requirements. You can move through these screens in the intended order by using the Next and Back buttons at the bottom of the screens, or you can click the tab headings and navigate through the tabs as desired. This flexibility allows you to preview tabs or to return to previous tabs to review or modify data entries. Note that some modules have second-level tabs which appear once the main module tab is selected.

Blue shading is used to show the active tab. Circular percent complete indicators on the tab headers, which are always visible, show progress on that tab. Grey indicates that no information has been entered, yellow indicates partial completion, and green indicates information has been entered for all questions on that tab.

The Consolidated View provides a tabular summary of the information entered. Click it at any time to review what has been entered and what questions remain unanswered.

intro navigate

open How can I print summary tables generated by tool?

While all screens within the tool are printable using the Print Screen functionality from your Internet browser, screens containing summary tables can be opened in a printer-friendly summary table by clicking the Print View button located on these screens. Summary table screens also include a button to export user entries as a .csv file, which can prove useful if you want to manipulate the information further (e.g., sort, filter and concatenate).

open Where is my information saved?

All of the information entered into the tool is saved and stored on the computer's local drive. This information is stored as temporary Internet files, and will remain if the tool is closed and even if the computer is restarted. At the end of each task, the user selects a desired location and a final file is generated and stored there.


Select Next to continue
Select Back to go to the Welcome page.
Select one of the buttons below to proceed to the appropriate task. The expected users of each task are shown in parentheses.



Note that while this tool functions through use of a web browser, all of the information entered into the tool is saved and stored on your computer's local drive. Initially these will be stored as temporary internet files, and at the end of the input screens you will select the desired location for the final file location.

Select a role to continue
Select Back to go to the Introduction page.
Select the component for which you would like to develop information management system requirements.

Once you have answered the questions for your component, the tool will generate a file containing your responses. If the requirements development process is being coordinated by a design team, they will likely request this output file. Further instructions about this process will be provided after you have completed data entry for the component.


Select a component to continue
Select Back to go to the Home page.
To define component functional requirements, you will enter information in three modules:

Focus on the specific needs of this component when entering information. At this stage in system design, component teams are asked only to identify what would allow them to most effectively use the information management system. Perceived feasibility in implementing particular functionality should not be considered when entering information. The IT design team will compile requirements across all components and prioritize them in light of the design goals, performance objectives and available resources for the SRS.

This link is provided both here and at the top of the next screen and allows you to download an Excel spreadsheet of all the questions and requirements contained in this module. This allows you to review the questions off-line or share them with others. However, all answers and data must be entered directly into the tool. Data entered into the Excel spreadsheet cannot be imported into the tool.

You can review and modify your entries in the Consolidated View. Once you have progressed through the three modules, you will complete the process by exporting a file containing the information you entered.

Select Next to continue
Once you have verified the accuracy and completeness of the information you entered using the summary tables on the previous screens, please click the buttons below to generate a .csv file containing the information you entered. Save the file to your desired location. After exiting the tool, provide a copy of the tool data file, if requested, to the IT design team.

Select Back to edit your selections
To define technical requirements for the system, you will enter information in two modules:

At this stage in system design, consider only what would allow you to most effectively implement and manage the information management system. Perceived feasibility in implementing particular functionality should not be considered when entering information. The IT design team will compile requirements across all components and prioritize them in light of the design goals, performance objectives and available resources for the SRS.

This link is provided which allows you to download an Excel spreadsheet of all the questions and requirements contained in this section. This allows you to review the questions off line or share them with others. However, all answers and data must be entered directly into the tool. Data entered into the Excel spreadsheet cannot be imported into the tool.

You can review and modify your entries in the Consolidated View. Once you have progressed through the two modules, you will complete the process by exporting a file containing your input.

Select Next to continue
This section of the tool allows you to do the following:

You will first import the files obtained from component teams and IT personnel containing their input. Tables will then summarize input across components and allow you to develop your final list of requirements.

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Select Next to continue
Before proceeding, it is necessary that input from all the component teams and IT personnel has been received. The requirements for each component, as well as the technical requirements, are stored in separate files that use the following naming convention: IM_requirements_<component>_mmddyyyy-hhmm.csv. Do not modify the names of these files.

Ensure that exactly one file has been received for each component being implemented, as well as the technical requirements file (if using). For each of these files, click the Choose Files button below. Browse for the desired file(s) and click Open. If the file is loaded correctly, it will appear in the white box. If your web browser allows it, you may select multiple files at once if they are located within the same directory by using control-click. Once at least one file is added, the Next button will be enabled. When all files have been added and appear in the white box, click Next to proceed through the provided summary tables.
Components Now Loaded:
Clear List

Select Next to continue
The next screen summarizes component and / or IT input in the following areas: Responses are organized by component. The Print View button at the top and bottom of the page opens the tables in a print-friendly format. Click Close on that screen to return to the tool.

Select Next to continue
 

Select Next to continue
The following screens contain tables for consolidating and documenting the requirements ratings provided by component team(s) and IT personnel.

Users rated the importance of each component according to the following scale. Note that the tables in this section use the numeric value shown in parentheses.


Select Next to continue
The next screen is the "working view" in which you can assign an overall priority to each requirement and decide which to include in the final list of requirements.
The first three columns of the table provide each requirement's category, numerical identifier and a short statement of the requirement. An example is shown to the right. For additional information about a requirement, select the question mark icon next to the requirement name.
The next six columns summarize the input from component team(s) and IT personnel, who were asked to rate the importance of each requirement considering only their specific needs. Note that component teams were only asked to provide input on requirements that were potentially relevant to them, so there will be blanks in the table.

Each requirement had a text box where users were able to enter additional details, if desired. If text was entered for a requirement, an asterisk appears in the cell next to the rating number. Click the cell for a pop-up showing this supplemental text and the requirement's entire text. Click the Establish Component link at the top of the page to enter the component module.
The next three columns are calculated by the Tool based on component team and IT personnel ratings and are intended to help you consider overall importance.
  • Number of Components: the number of components that rated the functionality as relevant (did not leave the functionality blank and provided a rating above "don't need it")
  • Average: the average rating among components for which input was rated as relevant (did not leave the functionality blank and provided a rating above "don't need it")
  • Final Rating: a pre-populated maximum rating received across components
This Final Rating column is editable: you can edit this value to reflect your final determination of the importance of each requirement. For example, you may wish to increase the priority of a requirement that was identified as important to multiple components.

The final column of the table, Exclude from Final Results, is also editable. Requirements for which the box in this column is checked will not be carried forward into subsequent tables and reports. For example, you may wish to exclude any requirements rated as 0.

Carefully consider the entries in these final two columns before proceeding to the next screen, as all subsequent reports will be generated based on these entries.

Select Next to continue
The Consolidate Requirements area shows the numerical rating for all components. To see textual comments, or responses in the area of Expected Uses of the System or Data Management, click here to go to the Establish Component area.
Review and Finalize Requirements Ratings
Note: You may change Final Ratings before proceeding to the next step.
Requirement Category Key

C  = Component Functional Requirements
C* = Additional Component Functional Requirements
T  = Technical Requirements
T* = Additional Technical Requirements
Filtering
Rule Value on Column
Rating Key

Don't Need It = 0
Would Be Nice = 1
Highly Desired = 2
Critical = 3
                           
  Component Ratings Summary Rating  
  Category No. Requirement OWQM CCS ESM PHS CM STR Number of Components Average Final Rating Exclude from Reports
                           
 CategoryNo. RequirementOWQMCCSESMPHSCMNumber of ComponentsAverageFinal RatingExclude from Final Results

Select Next to save changes and continue
The tables on the next two screens summarize the final ratings entered on the previous screen. The first includes the simple requirement statements used in the Working View, whereas the second provides more detail about each requirement and is intended for printing and distribution to individuals not involved in the requirements-gathering process.

These tables are not editable: if changes are desired, click the Back button, make updates on the Working View screen and click Next to return here.

The Print View button at the bottom of the page opens the tables in a print-friendly format. Click Close on that screen to return to the tool.

Select Next to continue
Review, print and export Final Requirements Ratings  
Rating Key: Don't Need It = 0, Would Be Nice = 1, Highly Desired = 2, Critical = 3
                   
  Ratings
Category No. Requirement OWQM CCS ESM PHS CM STR Final Rating
                   
CategoryNo. RequirementOWQMCCSESMPHSCMFinal Rating

Select Next to save changes and continue
Review, print and export Requirements Summaries  
             
Category No. Requirement Generic Requirement Description Product Meets Requirements? Reference Information Additional Comments
             
CategoryNo. RequirementDescYNRefAdd

Select Next to save changes and continue

Complete


You have completed consolidation and prioritization of requirements for the SRS information management system. If you are satisfied with the information you printed or exported from the previous two screens (the IT Design Team Summary View and Requirements Summary View) then there is no further action necessary and you may close this browser window. To print or save any information from the previous screens, click the Back button.

Select Back to return to Summary View
This component, X, is currently loaded by the "Consolidate Requirements" area. It was loaded from the file X which you selected. You may view all of this content by clicking View. If you make changes while viewing the file information, they will not be saved in the Tool, but you can create a new csv file with changes by proceeding to the end. You may also ignore this file's content and create/edit your own responses as though this file was not loaded by clicking Ignore.



Make a selection to continue
Select Back to go to the Home page.
This component, X, has answers saved from a previous session. Click the arrow next to View to keep previously entered content, continuing from where you left off. Click the arrow next to Discard to delete all previous entries and start fresh.
This module, System Technical Requirements, has answers saved from a previous session. Click the arrow next to View to keep previously entered content, continuing from where you left off. Click the arrow next to Discard to delete all previous entries and start fresh.



Make a selection to continue
Select Back to go to the Home page.

WARNING. ActiveX is Unavailable.

Certain functionality cannot be used.


In Internet Explorer, the Information Management Requirements Development Tool uses ActiveX to store the answers to your questions so that they may persist across browser sessions. This is done so that you may save your answers automatically as you go, close this browser, and continue the work at a later time. The tool was unable to load ActiveX, and this feature is currently unavailable.

You may take one of three actions.

1  Reload this page. If the dialog for ActiveX appears, click Yes to allow access. (If it does not appear, ActiveX may be disabled in Internet Explorer. This can be changed in Internet Explorer by going to Tools -> Internet Options -> Security -> Custom Level.)
2  Continue in Session Mode. (Not Recommended) You may continue using the tool in its current state of Session Mode, which means any answers you give will not be saved if you close the browser or if you reload the page. You must complete answering all questions in one session, finishing the tool by creating and saving the CSV file at the end.
3  Use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. These browsers fully support HTML5 and thus do not have this limitation. Download Chrome
 
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WARNING. Disk storage is unavailable.

Certain functionality cannot be used.


The IM Requirements Tool uses local storage mechanisms to store the answers to your questions so that they may persist across browser sessions. This is done so that you may save your answers automatically as you go, close this browser, and continue the work at a later time. The Tool was unable to load access this local storage, and this feature is currently unavailable.

You may take one of three actions.

1  Close, and re-open the browser. A previously open site may be negatively impacting the Tool.  
2  Continue in Session Mode. (Not Recommended) You may continue using the tool in its current state of Session Mode, which means any answers you give will not be saved as you go. You must complete answering all questions in one session, finishing the tool by creating and saving the CSV file at the end.
3  Use a different browser. This problem may be caused by a settings configuration that does not occur in a different browser.  
 
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