/sfdipot-product-factors

name: sfdipot-product-factors
description: "James Bach's HTSM Product Factors (SFDIPOT) analysis for comprehensive test strategy generation. Use when analyzing requirements, epics, or user stories to generate prioritized test ideas across Structure, Function, Data, Interfaces, Platform, Operations, and Time dimensions."
category: requirements-analysis
priority: high
tokenEstimate: 1500
agents: [qe-product-factors-assessor, qe-test-idea-rewriter]
implementation_status: optimized
optimization_version: 1.0
last_optimized: 2026-01-17
dependencies: [brutal-honesty-review]
quick_reference_card: true
tags: [sfdipot, htsm, product-factors, test-strategy, requirements, james-bach]

SFDIPOT Product Factors Analysis

<default_to_action> When analyzing requirements: 1. IDENTIFY document type (epic, user story, spec, architecture doc) 2. DETECT domain context (ecommerce, healthcare, finance, etc.) 3. ANALYZE each SFDIPOT category systematically 4. GENERATE test ideas with action verbs (no "Verify" patterns) 5. ASSIGN priorities (P0-P3) and automation fitness 6. SURFACE clarifying questions for coverage gaps 7. OUTPUT in requested format (HTML, JSON, MD, Gherkin)

**Quality Gates:**

• Human exploration >= 10%
• No "Verify X" test patterns
• Priority distribution: P0 (8-12%), P1 (20-30%), P2 (35-45%), P3 (20-30%)

</default_to_action>

Quick Reference Card

The 7 Product Factors

| Factor | Question | Example Focus Areas | |--------|----------|---------------------| | **S**tructure | What IS it? | Components, code, dependencies | | **F**unction | What does it DO? | Features, calculations, errors | | **D**ata | What does it PROCESS? | Input, output, persistence | | **I**nterfaces | How does it CONNECT? | UI, API, integrations | | **P**latform | What does it DEPEND ON? | OS, browser, hardware | | **O**perations | How is it USED? | Workflows, admin, recovery | | **T**ime | WHEN do things happen? | Concurrency, scheduling |

When to Use This Skill

| Scenario | Priority | Output | |----------|----------|--------| | New epic planning | High | Full SFDIPOT assessment + test ideas | | Sprint requirement review | Medium | Targeted analysis + clarifying questions | | Test strategy definition | High | Comprehensive test coverage plan | | Risk assessment | High | Domain-weighted priority assignment | | Coverage gap analysis | Medium | Penetrating questions + recommendations |

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SFDIPOT Analysis Framework

Structure (What the product IS)

**Subcategories:**

• Code Integrity: Code quality, complexity, maintainability
• Hardware: Physical components, devices, peripherals
• Non-Executable Files: Config, data files, documents
• Executable Files: Binaries, scripts, libraries
• Dependencies: Third-party libraries, external services

**Sample Test Ideas:**

• Analyze cyclomatic complexity of critical modules; flag functions > 10
• Inject corrupted config file; confirm graceful degradation
• Upgrade dependency version; validate no breaking changes

Function (What the product DOES)

**Subcategories:**

• Application: Core business features
• Calculation: Mathematical operations, transformations
• Error Handling: Exception management, recovery
• Security: Authentication, authorization, encryption
• State Transitions: Workflow states, data lifecycle
• Messaging: Notifications, events, queues
• Data Transformation: Format conversion, mapping

**Sample Test Ideas:**

• Submit order with 1000 line items; measure processing time
• Inject SQL in search field; confirm sanitization prevents execution
• Trigger state transition timeout; observe retry behavior

Data (What the product PROCESSES)

**Subcategories:**

• Input: User input, file uploads, API payloads
• Output: Responses, reports, exports
• Persistence: Database storage, caching
• Storage: File systems, cloud storage
• Boundaries: Min/max values, edge cases
• Validation: Format rules, business rules
• Formats: JSON, XML, CSV handling

**Sample Test Ideas:**

• Upload 100MB file; confirm chunked processing completes
• Insert emoji in text field; validate storage and retrieval
• Query boundary date (2038-01-19); check timestamp handling

Interfaces (How the product CONNECTS)

**Subcategories:**

• User Interface: Web, mobile, desktop UI
• APIs: REST, GraphQL, gRPC endpoints
• Integrations: Third-party service connections
• Protocols: HTTP, WebSocket, MQTT
• CLI: Command-line interfaces

**Sample Test Ideas:**

• Resize browser to 320px width; confirm responsive breakpoints
• Send malformed JSON to API; assert 400 response with details
• Disconnect WebSocket mid-transaction; observe reconnection

Platform (What the product DEPENDS ON)

**Subcategories:**

• Browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
• OS: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
• Hardware: CPU, memory, storage constraints
• External Software: Databases, message queues
• Network: Latency, bandwidth, offline

**Sample Test Ideas:**

• Execute on 1GB RAM device; profile memory usage
• Run with 500ms network latency; measure user experience
• Test on iOS 15 Safari; validate CSS grid support

Operations (How the product is USED)

**Subcategories:**

• Common Use: Happy path workflows
• Extreme Use: Edge cases, stress conditions
• User Management: Roles, permissions, profiles
• Admin Operations: Configuration, monitoring
• Recovery: Backup, restore, disaster recovery

**Sample Test Ideas:**

• Execute 10,000 concurrent user sessions; monitor resource usage
• Revoke admin access mid-session; confirm immediate effect
• Restore from 24-hour-old backup; validate data integrity

Time (WHEN things happen)

**Subcategories:**

• Concurrency: Parallel operations, race conditions
• Scheduling: Cron jobs, timed events
• Sequences: Order of operations, dependencies

**Sample Test Ideas:**

• Two users update same record simultaneously; confirm conflict resolution
• Execute scheduled job at DST transition; validate correct timing
• Cancel operation mid-sequence; observe partial state handling