RequirementsEngineeringProcesses

Processesusedtodiscover,
analyseandvalidatesystem
requirements

Objectives

Todescribetheprincipalrequirements
engineeringactivities
Todiscussfeasibilityofasystem.
Tointroducetechniquesforrequirements
elicitationandanalysis

Topicscovered

Feasibilitystudies
Requirementselicitation
Requirementelicitationtechnique
Requirementanalysis

Requirementsengineeringprocesses

TheprocessesusedforREvarywidelydepending
ontheapplicationdomain,thepeopleinvolved
andtheorganisationdevelopingtherequirements
However,thereareanumberofgenericactivities
commontoallprocesses

Requirementselicitation
Requirementsanalysis
Requirementsvalidation
Requirementsmanagement

Therequirementsengineeringprocess
Feasibility
study

Requirements
elicitationand
analysis

Requir ements
specification

Feasibility
report

Requirements
validation
System
models
Userandsystem
requirements
Requirements
document

Feasibilitystudies

Afeasibilitystudydecideswhetherornotthe
proposedsystemisworthwhile
Ashortfocusedstudythatchecks

Ifthesystemcontributestoorganisationalobjectives
Ifthesystemcanbeengineeredusingcurrenttechnologyand
withinbudget
Ifthesystemcanbeintegratedwithothersystemsthatareused

Feasibilitystudyimplementation

Basedoninformationassessment(whatis
required),informationcollectionandreport
writing
Questionsforpeopleintheorganisation

Whatifthesystemwasntimplemented?
Whatarecurrentprocessproblems?
Howwilltheproposedsystemhelp?
Whatwillbetheintegrationproblems?
Isnewtechnologyneeded?Whatskills?
Whatfacilitiesmustbesupportedbytheproposedsystem?

RequirementElicitation

Sometimescalledrequirementselicitationor
requirementsdiscovery
Involvestechnicalstaffworkingwithcustomers
tofindoutabouttheapplicationdomain,the
servicesthatthesystemshouldprovideandthe
systemsoperationalconstraints
Mayinvolveendusers,managers,engineers
involvedinmaintenance,domainexperts,trade
unions,etc.Thesearecalledstakeholders

Requirements Elicitation
Techniques

Interviewing and questionnaires

Requirements workshops
Braining Storming and idea reduction
Storyboards or Scenarios
Use Cases
Ethnography
Prototyping

Interviewing
Informalorinformalinterviewing,theREteamputs
questions to stakeholders about the system that they
useandthesystemtobedeveloped.

Therearetwotypesofinterview
Closed interviews where a predefined set of
questionsareanswered.
Openinterviewswherethereisnopredefined
agenda and a range of issues are explored with
stakeholders.

Interviewsinpractice

Normallyamixofclosedandopenendedinterviewing.
Interviewsaregoodforgettinganoverallunderstanding
ofwhatstakeholdersdoandhowtheymightinteractwith
thesystem.
Interviewsarenotgoodforunderstandingdomain
requirements
Requirementsengineerscannotunderstandspecific
domainterminology;
Somedomainknowledgeissofamiliarthatpeoplefindit
hardtoarticulateorthinkthatitisntwortharticulating.

Effectiveinterviewers

Interviewers should be openminded, willing to listen to

stakeholders and should not have preconceived ideas
abouttherequirements.
Theyshouldprompttheintervieweewithaquestionora
proposalandshouldnotsimplyexpectthemtorespondto
aquestionsuchaswhatdoyouwant.

Technique:RequirementsWorkshop

Therequirementsworkshopisperhapsthemost
powerfultechniqueforelicitingrequirements.
Itgathersallkeystakeholderstogetherforashort
butintenselyfocusedperiod.
Theuseofanoutsidefacilitatorexperiencedin
requirementsmanagementcanensurethesuccess
oftheworkshop.
Brainstormingisthemostimportantpartofthe
workshop.

Preparingfortheworkshop

Sellingtheworkshopconcepttostakeholders
EnsuringtheParticipationoftheRight
Stakeholders
Logistics
Includestravel,lighting,andevenafternoonsugarfilledsnacks.

Warmupmaterials
Projectspecificinformation,Outofboxthinking
preparation

RoleoftheFacilitator

Establishprofessionalandobjectivetonetothemeeting.
Startandstopthemeetingontime.
Establishandenforcetherulesforthemeeting.
Introducethegoalsandagendaforthemeeting.
Managethemeetingandkeeptheteamontrack.
Facilitateaprocessofdecisionandconsensusmaking.
Makecertainthatallstakeholdersparticipateandhave
theirinputheard.
Controldisruptiveorunproductivebehavior.

WorkshopProblemsand
Suggestions

TimeManagement
Itsdifficulttogetgoingafter
breaksandlunch.
Keyshareholdersmaybelate
returning
Grandstanding,domineering
positions
Lackofinputfrom
stakeholders
Negativecomments,petty
behaviors,andturfwars
Flaggingenergyafterlunch

Facilitatorkeepsatimerforall
breaksandfinesanyonethatis
late,everyonegetsonefree
pass.
Everyonegetsone5minute
positionstatement.
Facilitatorencourages
everyonetouse5minute
positionandgreatideaticket.
UseCheapShotTickets,all
otherscostmoney.
Litelunches,afternoon
breaks,rearrangeseating

Technique:Brainstorming

Brainstorminginvolvesbothideagenerationandidea
reduction.
Themostcreative,innovativeideasoftenresultfrom
combining,seeminglyunrelatedideas.
Variousvotingtechniquesmaybeusedtoprioritizethe
ideascreated.
Althoughlivebrainstormingispreferred,webbased
brainstormingmaybeaviablealternativeinsome
situations

RulesforBrainstorming

Donotallowcriticismordebate.
Letyourimaginationsoar
Generateasmanyideasaspossible
Mutate(alter)andcombineideas
IdeaReduction

Pruningideasthatarenotworthyoffurtherdiscussion
Groupingofsimilarideasintoonesupertopic

Prioritizetheremainingideas

Scenarios
Scenariosarereallifeexamplesofhowa

systemcanbeused.

Theyshouldinclude
Adescriptionofthestartingsituation;
Adescriptionofthenormalflowofevents;
Adescriptionofwhatcangowrong;
Informationaboutotherconcurrentactivities;
Adescriptionofthestatewhenthescenario
finishes.

LIBSYSscenario

Socialandorganisationalfactors

Softwaresystemsareusedinasocialand
organisationalcontext.Thiscaninfluenceoreven
dominatethesystemrequirements
Socialandorganisationalfactorsarenotasingle
viewpointbutareinfluencesonallviewpoints
Goodanalystsmustbesensitivetothesefactors
butcurrentlynosystematicwaytotackletheir
analysis

Example

Considerasystemwhichallowssenior
managementtoaccessinformationwithoutgoing
throughmiddlemanagers

Managerialstatus.Seniormanagersmayfeelthattheyaretoo
importanttouseakeyboard.Thismaylimitthetypeofsystem
interfaceused
Managerialresponsibilities.Managersmayhaveno
uninterruptedtimewheretheycanlearntousethesystem
Organisationalresistance.Middlemanagerswhowillbemade
redundantmaydeliberatelyprovidemisleadingorincomplete
informationsothatthesystemwillfail

Ethnography

Asocialscientistsspendsaconsiderabletime
observingandanalysinghowpeopleactuallywork
Peopledonothavetoexplainorarticulatetheirwork
Socialandorganisationalfactorsofimportancemay
beobserved
Ethnographicstudieshaveshownthatworkis
usuallyricherandmorecomplexthansuggestedby
simplesystemmodels

Focusedethnography

Developedinaprojectstudyingtheairtraffic
controlprocess
Combinesethnographywithprototyping
Prototypedevelopmentresultsinunanswered
questionswhichfocustheethnographicanalysis
Problemwithethnographyisthatitstudies
existingpracticeswhichmayhavesome
historicalbasiswhichisnolongerrelevant

Ethnographyandprototyping
Ethnographic
analysis

Debriefing
meetings

Focused
ethnography
Prototype
evaluation

Genericsystem
development

System
protoyping

Scopeofethnography

Requirementsthatarederivedfromthewaythat
peopleactuallyworkratherthanthewayIwhich
processdefinitionssuggestthattheyoughtto
work
Requirementsthatarederivedfromcooperation
andawarenessofotherpeoplesactivities

Therequirementsanalysisprocess
Requir ements
definitionand
specification

Requirements
validation

Process
entry

Domain
understanding

Prioritization

Requirements
collection

Conflict
resolution
Classification

Problemsofrequirementsanalysis

Stakeholdersdontknowwhattheyreallywant
Stakeholdersexpressrequirementsintheirownterms
Differentstakeholdersmayhaveconflicting
requirements
Organisationalandpoliticalfactorsmayinfluence
thesystemrequirements
Therequirementschangeduringtheanalysisprocess.
Newstakeholdersmayemergeandthebusiness
environmentchange

Keypoints

Therequirementsengineeringprocessincludesa
feasibilitystudy,requirementselicitationandanalysis,
requirementsspecificationandrequirements
management
Requirementsanalysisisiterativeinvolvingdomain
understanding,requirementscollection,classification,
structuring,prioritisationandvalidation
Systemshavemultiplestakeholderswithdifferent
requirements