Requirements Engineering?

By Tim Ackroyd on

If we don't understand IT, we cannot deliver IT...

The Requirements Engineering process is a critical step in the software development life cycle as it helps to ensure that the software system being developed meets the needs and expectations of stakeholders, and that it is developed on time, within budget, and to the required quality.



Requirements Management

This step involves managing the requirements throughout the software development life cycle, including tracking and controlling changes, and ensuring that the requirements are still valid and relevant.

Requirements Development

Requirements Development is composed of Requirement's Elicitation, Analysis, Specification, and Validation where Elicitation (gathering) is the first step (predecessor to) Analysis.

This is an iterative process where we move between elicitation, analysis, specification, and validation.

Requirements Elicitation

This is the process of gathering information about the needs and expectations of stakeholders for the software system. This step involves interviews, surveys, focus groups, and other techniques to gather information from stakeholders.

Requirements Analysis

This step involves analyzing the information gathered in the requirements elicitation step to identify the high-level goals and objectives of the software system. It also involves identifying any constraints or limitations that may affect the development of the software system.

Requirements Specification

This step involves documenting the requirements identified in the analysis step in a clear, consistent, and unambiguous manner. This step also involves prioritizing and grouping the requirements into manageable chunks.

Requirements Validation

This step involves documenting the requirements identified in the analysis step in a clear, consistent, and unambiguous manner. This step also involves prioritizing and grouping the requirements into manageable chunks.  

Conclusion

The conclusion here follows the old saying, "...only as strong as the weakest link", applies here. Without effective Requirements Elicitation, the delivery of everything else may fail in some or all of the efforts. If we are not doing effective analysis, specification, and validation, then there is no Requirements Development. Thus Requirements Management is a futile exercise.



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