# Step 1: Understand the goals and the stakeholders

## What you get from this step

You get a short written overview of what your system must achieve and who cares about it. It has four parts:

- a vision,
- the business goals,
- a table of stakeholders with their expectations,
- the top quality goals.

This text becomes section 1 of arc42, described in [arc42 Introduction and Goals](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/documentation/arc42-introduction-and-goals.md). Every later step builds on it.

## What you need first

- A rough idea of the product and why the business wants it.
- Any existing requirements documents. You will link to them, not copy them.
- Access to the people who sponsor, use, build and run the system.
- Optional: a [Business Model Canvas](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/business-model-canvas.md) or a [Strategy Map](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/enterprise-architecture/strategy-map.md), if your organization already has one. Both help you read the business behind the system.

## If something is missing

- **No vision yet:** Draft one from the parts in [System Idea and Vision Elements](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/system-idea-and-vision-elements.md). Ask the sponsor to confirm it.
- **No requirements document:** Write a short overview from what you know. Mark the gaps. Do not invent detail.
- **No stakeholder list:** Start from the guiding questions in step 3 below.
- **No business goals on paper:** Ask the sponsor. If a canvas or strategy map exists, read it.
- **A stakeholder class has no representative:** Find one. A class without a voice gets ignored. See [Stakeholder](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/stakeholder.md).

## How to do it

1. **Write a vision statement.** Keep it short. Name the target customers. Say what value they get. Name only a few standout features, not a long list. See [Vision Statement](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/vision-statement.md).
2. **Write down the business goals.** Link the value in your vision to them. If a canvas exists, use it to find the customers and partners.
3. **Find the stakeholders.** A stakeholder is a person, team or organization with an interest in the system. Ask these questions:
   - Who gains or loses?
   - Who decides?
   - Who controls resources?

   Check that you covered every class of stakeholder. See [Stakeholder Identification](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/stakeholder-identification.md).
4. **Put them in a table.** Give each row a role or name, a contact and what the person expects from the architecture and its documentation.
5. **Record their concerns.** A concern is something a stakeholder cares about, such as security or performance. Link each stakeholder to their concerns. See [Stakeholder Perspective and Concern](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/documentation/stakeholder-perspective-and-concern.md) and [Concern](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/forces-decisions/concern.md).
6. **Name conflicts.** Concerns can collide, for example time to market against maintainability. Write down the conflict and the trade-off you choose. Record the reasoning later in Architecture Decision Records.
7. **Optional: rank the stakeholders.** The [Stakeholder Power Grid](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/stakeholder-power-grid.md) sorts them by power and interest. Engage high-power, high-interest stakeholders closely. Keep high-power, low-interest stakeholders satisfied. You can also rate how ready critical stakeholders are, as in [Stakeholder Readiness for Change Assessment](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/enterprise-architecture/stakeholder-readiness-for-change-assessment.md).
8. **Pick the top quality goals.** Choose three to five, never more than five. They must be the goals most important to the major stakeholders. Write a brief scenario for each, not only a keyword. Keep them apart from project goals such as deadlines.
9. **Add a short requirements overview.** Link to the existing requirements documents. Leave detailed quality requirements for section 10.

## Example: ClinicBook

ClinicBook is an online booking system for 40 small medical practices. The business goals below are made up for this example.

**Vision statement**

"ClinicBook lets patients of small practices book, move and cancel appointments online. It gives practice staff one calendar that stays in step with the software they already use."

The standout features are reminders by SMS and e-mail, and the link to each practice's existing software.

**Business goals (illustrative)**

- Launch on the fixed date.
- Let all 40 practices use one booking system.
- Keep patients' health data protected.

**Stakeholders**

| Role | Expectations |
|---|---|
| Patient | Booking works on web and mobile, also in the morning rush. Health data stays private. |
| Practice staff | A calendar they can trust. No double bookings. |
| Practice owner | Their existing software keeps working. Patients get reminders. |
| Vendors of practice-management software | Clear, documented interfaces. |
| Product sponsor | Launch on the fixed date. |
| Development team (small) | A structure the team can build and change. |
| Operations | A system they can run and watch. |
| Data protection officer | Evidence that health data is handled correctly. |

In a real table, add names and contacts. Each row also points to concerns. The patient row links to availability and privacy. The vendor row links to integration.

**Concerns in conflict**

The fixed launch date pulls against security and against integration with many vendors. The team writes this down and picks a trade-off. The reasoning goes into a decision record.

**Quality goals**

The launch date is a project goal, so it does not appear here.

| Goal | Scenario |
|---|---|
| Privacy and security | A staff member of one practice tries to open a patient record of another practice. The system refuses. |
| Availability in the morning peak | When many patients book at the start of the day, booking stays available. |
| Integration | A patient moves an appointment. The practice's own software shows the new time. |
| Changeability | The small team adds a connection to a new vendor's software without changing the booking core. |

Exact numbers, such as peak load, go to section 10.

**Requirements overview**

Three or four sentences cover the main functions: book, move and cancel appointments, manage calendars and send reminders. A link points to the existing requirements document.

## Done when

- The vision is short, names the target customers and states their value. See [Vision Statement](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/vision-statement.md).
- Business goals are written down and linked to the value in the vision. See [System Idea and Vision Elements](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/system-idea-and-vision-elements.md).
- A stakeholder table lists roles, contacts and expectations, and every stakeholder class is covered. See [Stakeholder Identification](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/stakeholder-identification.md).
- Each stakeholder is linked to concerns, and conflicting concerns are named with the chosen trade-off. See [Concern](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/forces-decisions/concern.md).
- Section 1 lists at most five quality goals, each with a brief scenario. See [arc42 Introduction and Goals](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/documentation/arc42-introduction-and-goals.md).
- The requirements overview is short, links to existing documents and defers detailed quality requirements to section 10. See [arc42 Introduction and Goals](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/documentation/arc42-introduction-and-goals.md).

## Learn more

- [arc42 Introduction and Goals](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/documentation/arc42-introduction-and-goals.md)
- [Stakeholder](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/stakeholder.md)
- [Stakeholder Identification](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/stakeholder-identification.md)
- [Stakeholder Perspective and Concern](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/documentation/stakeholder-perspective-and-concern.md)
- [Stakeholder Concern](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/forces-decisions/stakeholder-concern.md)
- [Concern](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/forces-decisions/concern.md)
- [Stakeholder Power Grid](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/stakeholder-power-grid.md)
- [Stakeholder Readiness for Change Assessment](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/enterprise-architecture/stakeholder-readiness-for-change-assessment.md)
- [Vision Statement](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/vision-statement.md)
- [System Idea and Vision Elements](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/system-idea-and-vision-elements.md)
- [Business Model Canvas](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/vision-stakeholders/business-model-canvas.md)
- [Strategy Map](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/enterprise-architecture/strategy-map.md)
- [Software Architecture Basic Concepts](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/fundamentals/software-architecture-basic-concepts.md)
- [Common Architect Mistakes](https://arc.fuet.ch/concepts/fundamentals/common-architect-mistakes.md)