Page 246 - Software and Systems Requirements Engineering in Practice

ç ç 3 O F T W A R E ç ç 3 Y S T E M S ç 2 E Q U I R E M E N T S ç % N G I N E E R I N G ç ) N ç 0 R A C T I C E

/RGANIZATIONAL )SSUES )MPACTING
2EQUIREMENTS -ANAGEMENT
! REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT PLAN 2%-0 SHOULD NOT BE
CREATED WITHOUT TAKING A HOLISTIC LOOK AT OTHER PROCESSES ASSOCIATED
WITH SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT E G MANUFACTURING HARDWARE
DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT TESTING AND MAINTENANCE !
TYPICAL MISTAKE WHEN SETTING UP A 2%-0 IS TO IGNORE UPSTREAM AND
DOWNSTREAM PROCESSES 4HEY ARE VERY NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE
CONTEXT OF ANY 2- PROCESSES PUT IN PLACE FOR EXAMPLE

v (OW ARE BUSINESS GOALS AND POLICIES CREATED
v 7HERE ARE THEY KEPT
v (OW CAN WE MAINTAIN TRACES BETWEEN GOALS POLICIES AND
REQUIREMENTS SUCH THAT THE IMPACT OF A CHANGE IN BUSINESS
DIRECTION E G CHANGE IN GOAL CAN BE MEASURED

3INCE BUSINESS RULES DERIVE FROM POLICIES THE IMPACT OF POLICY
CHANGES MUST BE MEASURABLE E G WHAT RULES WILL HAVE TO CHANGE IF
THIS POLICY CHANGES
.OTE THAT FOR SMALLER PROJECTS PROCESSES SHOULD NOT BE TOP HEAVY
BUT RATHER AS LEAN AS POSSIBLE -OST IMPORTANT WHEN LEAVING ACTIVITIES
AND WORK PRODUCTS OUT OF A PROCESS IS TO LEAVE THEM OUT BY COMMISSION
AND NOT BY OMISSION E G FORGETTING ABOUT THEM
!NOTHER ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUE IS THAT OF DISTRIBUTED ENGINEERING
WORK SEE #HAPTER $ISTRIBUTING THE EFFORT CARRIES WITH IT ADDITIONAL
CHALLENGES AS SHOWN IN 4ABLE
)N GENERAL ANY DISTRIBUTED EFFORT SHOULD HAVE STRONG LEADERSHIP AT
THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL LEAD LEVELS FACE TO FACE
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND TRAINING PRIOR TO PROJECT INITIATION A CLEAR
CHAIN OF COMMAND CLEAR DEFINITION OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES A WELL
DEFINED WELL UNDERSTOOD REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING PROCESS AND A
LIAISON AT EACH SITE WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITIES

#REATING A 2EQUIREMENTS $ATABASE
&OR SMALL PROJECTS REQUIREMENTS CAN BE MANAGED USING SPREADSHEETS
(OWEVER AS A PROJECT REACHES A CRITICAL SIZE SAY REQUIREMENTS OR
MORE IT BECOMES NECESSARY TO USE A DATABASE TO HOLD INFORMATION
!CTIVITIES SUCH AS CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT MANAGING TRACEABILITY
GENERATING SPECIFICATIONS AND EXTRACTING METRICS ARE ACCOMPLISHED
WITH MUCH LESS EFFORT USING ONE OF THE COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE
REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING DATA MANAGEMENT FACILITIES
#OMMERCIAL DATA MANAGEMENT TOOLS CAN DO A VERY NICE JOB OF
TRACKING REQUIREMENTS CHANGES AS THEY DO FINE GRAIN VERSION CONTROL
&OR EXAMPLE JUST CHANGING THE PRIORITY OF A REQUIREMENT WILL RESULT IN
A NEW REQUIREMENT VERSION BEING CREATED AS WELL AS AN AUDIT TRAIL SO