Developing originating requirements: defining the design decisions

A process for developing originating requirements is described. Originating requirements are the cornerstone upon which the systems engineering process is based. These requirements do not just appear, but involve a great deal of work using several important systems engineering tools: the operational concept, the external systems diagram, and the objectives hierarchy. In addition, this work provides a unified perspective on what requirements are, an appropriate taxonomy for originating requirements and an outline of the originating requirements document. This paper should serve as a discussion point for refining what may be the most important systems engineering activity.