Is there an Analyst in the house?

I am a bit frustrated.
Each time I look at change requests or even specifications from the client there is something that bothers me.

When you write business solutions the rule is to satisfy the needs of the customer. Do what they asked you to do.

The problem is, the customer tends to suggest the solution first rather than defining the need. In other words, they don't tell you what they need but they request for a solution that will do something (hopefully) good for them! (yes it's that vague)

It is a bit like crossing a river. If you are sick and tired getting wet swimming across it, you need a better solution.

So the request comes in; imagine a sequence of emails like so:

We need a boat!
That takes people.
And their cars.
Every day.
And night.
Quickly across the river.

So you concentrate on the "we need a boat!".

That's when you might miss the point by misinterpreting their first email describing a solution (a boat) to a need.

In fact what they need is "to cross the river" and with that knowledge you can do your analysis and find out that the river is actually not that wide or deep, dry for most of the year and what they really need is a bridge!

Sure enough, the last email actually told you the problem. This tends to happen when you are inquisitive and you care to find out what they really need. So until that bright revelation a lot of time, effort and gray matter has been spent on designing a boat.

Find out what the problem is first, what they say they need is a good general indication of where to start but might not be what they really need.