Page 30 - Software and Systems Requirements Engineering in Practice

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C h a p t e r 1 : I I n t r o d u c t i o n 3 3
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1980 1985 2005
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Share of sales with products ... 50
40

30

20

10

0
1 2 3
Less than 5 years 5 to 10 years More than 10 years

FIGURE 1.1 Acceleration of new product creation

investment and modification costs. This results in domain-specific,
complex software for which high-quality requirements specifications
are essential.
Requirements engineering is extremely important when a product,
service, or industry is regulated. For example, the U.S. government’s
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) both mandate specific activities and work
products (e.g., hazard analysis) where there is the potential for injury
or death. Sarbanes-Oxley regulations mandate traceability for certain
types of financial software used by companies doing business in the
United States. The European Union and Japan have regulations for
their respective businesses. Good requirements engineering practices
are essential for companies that must comply with government
regulations.

1.2 Misconceptions about Requirements Engineering
Misconceptions about requirements engineering can strongly
influence a company’s processes. Many companies and organizations
have a solid understanding of requirements processes, but some do
not. Some of the more common misconceptions are listed under the
headings that follow.