From Implicit Software Requirements to Real-World Operation: Software Requirements, Interface Prototyping, and FDE+ Engineering in the Age of AI

Why do software systems sometimes fail to support real operations—even after their requirements have been reviewed, approved, and implemented?

The answer often lies in the distance between documented requirements and the conditions under which software must actually operate.

Some requirements are never expressed. Others remain unrecognized until a working interface makes them visible. New needs emerge during development, while operational environments, organizational responsibilities, and business processes continue to change.

From Implicit Software Requirements to Real-World Operation examines how these gaps arise and how software engineering can address them.

Drawing on practical experience in enterprise systems and engineering projects, Jack Yang explores requirements discovery, interface prototyping, organizational coordination, system implementation, and the transition from software delivery to sustained operation.

The book examines how interface prototypes can expose previously hidden needs, how operational feedback changes engineering decisions, and why discovering a requirement does not necessarily mean it should be implemented. Feasibility, contractual obligations, cost, risk, and authorization all matter.

It also considers the evolving role of Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE+) and AI in bringing software development closer to the realities of operational work.

Throughout the discussion, a central question remains: What does it take for software that has been successfully developed to become software that genuinely supports real-world operation?

The book addresses questions relevant to software engineers, systems architects, business analysts, project managers, and professionals responsible for implementing and operating enterprise information systems.