Definition:
Concept Number: *106
English Master: Past-Level
Synonyms, Variations & Acronyms: Past
Detailing
Past-Level is usually shortened to Past.
A Past-Level states a historical numeric Level, on a defined Quantification-Scale, under specified Conditions [time, place, event] for a Scalar Attribute.
The Past can be any reference point of interest. It can be used to express a Product-Function, Product-Value Level, Development-Resource, or Solution of an old or existing System.
The most common use of the Past-Level is to reference how well a previous Product did along the same Quantification-Scale.
It can be essential to know where along the Quantification-Scale we and our Stakeholders are (Past-Level), Before we decide where we want to be in the future (Goal-Level). Specifying the Past Level gives that Benchmark and communicates it clearly. The Pest-Level is not a Requirement in-itself, it can be part of describing the development challenge, to move from where we are, the Past-Level, to where we want to be, the Goal-Level.
Illustrations
Type
Examples
Scale: average time in minutes, to learn how to program contact names and telephone numbers into the memory of the phone.
Past [our current System that we are upgrading] 35 min.
Past [another current System we sell] 15 min.
Past [competitors current System] 25 min.
Notes
1. Past values are stated to give us some interesting Benchmark Levels for our old System(s) and our competitors” Systems.
2. Even “current” values should be expressed using Past, because immediately they are stated, they are “Past” values. Qualifiers will make plain the currency of a specification
Rationale: If we did not take the trouble to analyze and specify the Past values then we might not set reasonable targets. Unintentionally, targets might even be specified worse than they were in the Past.
Keyed-Icons
<
“A single arrowhead, normally on a Scalar arrow (<--<O-<---->),
pointing “back” to the Past.”
Note the “<” alone in other contexts has other meanings such as: “<” less than, “<-” (source arrow), “<----” (tip of Scalar arrow). So either it must be used in an unambiguous Context or manner, or there be at least one hyphen, or [Qualifier], on either side of the arrowhead to distinguish this icon.
Drawn-Icons
noneXXXX
Related-Concepts
Requirement, Quantification-Scale, Meter, Status, Trend, Tolerable, Goal, Wish
History-of-Concept
We used to call Past for Now, but realized that Now does not last for long :-)