Page 296 - 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

AUL JUST LEARNED THAT HIS NEXT ASSIGNMENT WOULD BE REQUIREMENTS
ANALYSIS FOR A LARGE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PROJECT WITH A HIGH
0PROFILE CUSTOMER (E KNEW THAT THERE WERE ALREADY A FEW
THOUSAND REQUESTED FEATURES IN THE REQUIREMENTS MANAGEMENT
DATABASE AND IT WAS STILL GROWING 7HAT WAS UNIQUE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
IS THAT THE REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERS WITH WHOM 0AUL WOULD BE WORKING
WERE LOCATED AT DIFFERENT OFFICES AROUND THE WORLD IN SO CALLED
hCOMPETENCE CENTERS v &OR 0AUL S NEW PROJECT HE WAS EXPECTED
TO WORK WITH ESTABLISHED GROUPS OF REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERS SOME
OF WHICH WERE LOCATED FAR AWAY FROM HIS WORKPLACE SPECIFICALLY IN
)NDIA #HINA 3LOVAKIA (UNGARY AND "RAZIL (E HAD NEVER MET ANY
OF THESE REMOTE REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERS 0AUL WAS UNDERSTANDABLY
APPREHENSIVE ABOUT HOW HE WOULD EFFICIENTLY COLLABORATE WITH THESE
REMOTE REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERS STAKEHOLDERS AND DOMAIN EXPERTS
(E WAS RELIEVED TO READ THAT THE EXISTING FEATURES WERE DESCRIBED IN
%NGLISH AND THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS LOCATED IN HIS CITY (E SUSPECTED
THAT HE WOULD BE DOING MUCH TRAVELING FOR THIS PROJECT AND HE CHECKED
HIS PERSONAL CALENDAR FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS
4HIS CHAPTER DEALS WITH REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING FOR GLOBALLY
DISTRIBUTED PROJECTS )T DISCUSSES SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND
TECHNICAL ISSUES INVOLVED WITH DOING GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT )T DESCRIBES
TECHNIQUES THAT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY USED TO ELICIT AND ANALYZE
REQUIREMENTS ACROSS MULTIPLE LOCATIONS AND MANAGE THE REQUIREMENTS
AFTER THE ELICITATION PHASE IS OVER

õ "ACKGROUND
#OORDINATION AND CONTROL BECOME MORE DIFFICULT DUE TO DISTANCE TIME
ZONES AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT TEAMS ARE
GEOGRAPHICALLY DISTRIBUTED 3OME TASKS CAN BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG
COLLABORATING STAFF LOCATED FAR AWAY FROM EACH OTHER BUT SOME TASKS
ARE BETTER DONE LOCALLY AT A SINGLE SITE OR WITH STAFF SITTING TOGETHER IN
ONE ROOM !N EVERYDAY EXAMPLE IS PLUMBING )F YOU HAVE A WATER
PIPE LEAK IN YOUR HOUSE LOCATED IN THE 5NITED 3TATES YOU DO NOT WANT
TO CALL SOMEONE FROM "ANGALORE )NDIA TO REPAIR IT 9OU PREFER TO WORK
WITH SOMEONE LOCAL WHO CAN GET TO YOUR HOUSE QUICKLY TO STOP THE
FLOODING AND RESTORE YOUR WATER SERVICE WITH REPAIRED PIPES
4HE INITIAL MOTIVATION FOR SOFTWARE COMPANIES TO OUTSOURCE WORK
WAS TO REDUCE DEVELOPMENT COSTS -ANAGERS REALIZED THAT SOFTWARE
ENGINEERS LIVING IN COUNTRIES SUCH AS )NDIA #HINA AND 3LOVAKIA
WERE PAID LESS THAN ENGINEERS LIVING IN THE 5NITED 3TATES 3INCE
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING IS A LABOR INTENSIVE ACTIVITY IN THEORY IT SHOULD
COST LESS TO DEVELOP PRODUCTS USING ENGINEERS IN LOWER COST COUNTRIES
(OWEVER OUR EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT LABOR COST SAVINGS CAN OFTEN
BE OFFSET BY THE LEARNING CURVE COSTS FOR A NEW REMOTE TEAM TO DEVELOP
KNOW HOW ABOUT THE APPLICATIONS DOMAIN AND BY THE COORDINATION