System Architecture: Strategy and Product Development for Complex Systems, First Edition

11.5 Prioritizing Goals

Our desired end state includes a prioritization of goals, which is the final column in Figure 11.1. To these ends, we will advance three categories: critical goals, important goals, and desirable goals. Critical goals contain the three to seven absolute necessities for product success; they are sometimes called “live or die goals.” Important goals contain major goals that contribute to, but are not absolutely necessary for, success. Desirable goals contain objectives that it would be desirable, but not important, to meet.

This framework suggests how the project manager should allocate the limited project resources, spending resources on critical goals, conducting trades to determine resource allocation among important ...