Don't ever let me hear you say "non-functional" again

The other day I had I discussion with a colleague about what many people call "non-functional" requirements (as opposed to functional requirements), being requirements regarding performance, security and so on. This colleague argued that “non-functional” exactly expressed what these requirements are.

“OK”, I said. “Suppose you want to buy a car. Can you agree with me that its top speed is a non-functional requirement? Especially since normally any car can easily drive over 120 km/hour, which is the speed limit in Holland anyway, right?” “I agree that the top speed is a non-functional requirement, yes”, he replied. “So what you are saying here is that you might not even take a look at the specifications, but just assume that it can drive fast enough. But at the same time you would not take the car when it would not meet functional requirements like having a CD player, enough space to stow your kids and a sun-roof?”, I asked. “Yes”, he said, “that’s what I’m saying”.

“Now what if you are a sailor that happens to live in Munich but who sails from Kiel. Mind you, the distance between these two cities is about 700 km (435 miles). But fortunately - with the exception of a few spots - there is no speed limit in Germany! You have a lovely wife and you want to spend as much time with her as possible. Would you then have a look at its top speed?”, I asked. “Ermmm…”

The point I had made here is that what some people consider to be non-functional requirements could very well be a functional one to somebody else. Like logging would be a non-functional requirement for the average user, while an EDP auditor might have a totally different opinion about that.

So please stop using the term “non-functional”, people! In real life people say non-functional to something that does not work. It is confusing and imprecise, where the development of information systems is a very precise job. Use “supplementary requirements” instead. The only disadvantage I can think of is that I still have problems saying "supplementary requirements" without twisting my tongue.