1.11. Writing Mini Specifications
Before You Reached Here ...
Following the 
and 
Trails, you have built an event-response model. This chapter asks you to write a mini specification for that model.
Easiest: You will need the skill acquired in Chapter 2.12 Mini Specifications.
More Difficult: Your knowledge of how to write mini specifications means that you can proceed.
Most Difficult: You should already know about writing mini specifications, and you are in the right place to exercise that skill.
Promenade: Writing mini specifications is something you probably don’t want to do but you should at least know about them. We suggest you rejoin your trail in Chapter 2.12 Mini Specifications.
Your Strategy
In the Project Chapters 1.9 Modeling an Event-Response and 1.10 Refining an Event-Response, you have built the essential event-response process model and data model for event 9 New agency wants to do business. You’ve also updated your data dictionary to reflect the essential data. Now you tie all the pieces together by writing a mini specification, a one-page description of the essential requirements for a process.
Note the unique role of the mini specification: It specifies only what is not specified elsewhere. The essential activity model, the essential data model, and the data dictionary have specified different aspects of the system. The mini specification completes the picture by defining the processing within the bubble.
We asked Stamford Brook, manager of the Sales Department, to explain how he assigns a sales executive to every new agency: “We want to make sure that all of the executives have a reasonable and equal work load. The maximum number of advertising agencies that an executive can service is ten. When a new agency applies to do business with us, we assign it to the executive with the least number of agencies. If there is more than one qualifying executive, then we give it to the one who has not had a new agency for the longest time.”
Your task is to write the mini specification for the essential activity ASSIGN AGENCY TO EXECUTIVE. Choose whichever mini specification method you think is most appropriate for this activity. As you write the mini specification, keep a list of any questions that occur to you.
What to Do
Trail Guide
Easiest, More Difficult, and Most Difficult: You all go straight ahead with the Project. Your next assignment is waiting in Chapter 1.12 Another Event-Response.
Promenade: If you want to see more event-response modeling, go with the others to Chapter 1.12 Another Event-Response, otherwise rejoin this trail in Chapter 2.13 Modeling New Requirements.