Requirements Engineering In Software Development Projects

Requirements Engineering in Software Development Projects.

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REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 2

1.0 Introduction

According to (Ghaoui, 2006), requirements engineering is an engineering discipline

that establishes requirements of the users and then specifies the software system. A similar

view is held by (Carrillo de Gea et al., 2012) , that requirements engineering first mission is

to find out what the day to day user needs are of the people that interact with a computer

system, their expectations of the systems and the incorporation of the user needs and

expectations into the proposed design. Requirements engineering has some similarities with

software engineering however the major difference is that software engineering main purpose

is the development of a system that those that interact with the system want. (Boehm, 1981)

describes requirements engineering as the design of the right system and software

engineering as designing the system right. A more detailed definition by (Holt, Perry and

Brownsword, 2012) describes requirements engineering as a processed that is used to

identify the purpose, through the identification of stakeholders involved, their user needs, and

documenting this in a way that is possible to be analysed, communicated and implemented.

2.0 Analysis

Requirements engineering has critical aspects such as the engineering activities and

process, scenario based design, models and design representations, design advice and

knowledge reuse. Requirements activities and process include scoping, fact gathering,

analysis, modelling, and validation, trade off analysis, negotiation and processing a map of

requirements. According to (Bokhari and Siddiqui, 2015) , there exist non functional

requirements that are different from procedural requirements such as being portable, easy to

maintain, security, ability to be re-used and being reliable. Additionally, there are other

requirements that are not quantifiable by an existing metric system to specify their objectives

or function.

REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 3

3.0 Literature Review

3.1 Activities in Requirements Engineering

There are several activities that are involved in requirements engineering such as

scoping, fact gathering, analysis, modelling, validation and prototype analysis, trade of

analysis and negotiations. The objective of the activities is to ensure that there is a user and

stakeholder engagement from the start that ensures that the developed software eventually

subscribes to user requirements and is adoptable to the user and stakeholder environment

(Awasthi, Dr. R.N. Raizada and Dubey, 2012).

3.1.1Scoping

This is the first step in requirements engineering as it is critical in establishing the

boundaries of the intended system. Most of the clients may not necessarily have a definite

knowledge of what they want the system to do (Bokhari and Siddiqui, 2015), therefore the

expert has to take time to understand their current working environment and what the ideal

system is supposed to achieve so as to document the user requirements accurately. This will

then help to determine the scope of the system. Scoping can therefore not be objectively

achieved without the engagement of stakeholders and appropriate documentation.

3.2 Fact Gathering

In system analysis, the engagement done with stakeholders involve activities such as

questionnaires, interviews, observation, analysis of documents that describe the functions of

the organisation or department among other tools (slideshare.net, 2015). In fact gathering, the

same tools are used to collect important information on the existing system, its flaws, what

the right system is supposed to achieve so as to design an appropriate solution.

3.3 Analysis

Analysis is concerned in the investigation of the 5 ‘W’ questions. These are:

-What goals of the system are?

REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 4

-What objects are involved?

- Where the system is located

-When different activities should happen

-Why the system is necessary

Sometimes as illustrated by (Gilb and Brodie, 2005) , goal related analysis provides

an environment that helps to discover obstacles or risks to the new system that is caused by

other factors that are outside the expected range of probable factors. This then provides an

opportunity for the review of the external factors that affect the system and the creation of an

environment where the stakeholders discuss further how these risks could be minimised.

3.4Modelling

After analysis, the results from the analysis are then represented in graphical

structures that show input, processes and output. This requires the use of data flow diagrams,

entity relationship diagrams and other forms of modelling. Most of the formal approaches

used in modelling have been borrowed from software engineering (Bokhari and Siddiqui,

2015) . This is however not been proven to be the best way in industrial practise (Ghaoui,

2006).

3.5 Validation

Validation is a key activity in requirements engineering as it involves having users

review the requirements specification and understand their implications. This allows for the

users to complain or raise issues with the system if it suits their requirements. This is done

through the use of a prototype of the desired system. The users are taken through a structured

walkthrough that so as to understand the proposed system as well as to positively critic the

system with the view of improving the system. Prototypes are not cheap to build, they are

expensive and may also may not be the right fit. They are however very effective especially

when combined with techniques for information gathering (Bokhari and Siddiqui, 2015).

REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 5

According to (Caroll et al), sometimes it is important during validation to incorporate

animated simulations as well as scenario-based representations in helping the users and

stakeholders understand the proposed system thereby improving on their understanding of the

system and subsequent positive criticism of the system that will lead to an improved system

that suits the user requirements.

3.6 Trade-off analysis

Not all requirements can be sufficiently met in the building of a system. Some of the

requirements may be in conflict with some of the stakeholders that use the system and

therefore conflicting of views is common. This therefore requires that there be a trade-off

analysis that compares, prioritises and decides what is mission critical to the system and what

is not that high on the priority requirement list (Awasthi, Dr. R.N. Raizada and Dubey, 2012).

Sometimes, matrix based techniques and decision tables are helpful in making this

comparison.

When decision tables, decision trees, flowcharts and other representations are used, it

becomes easier to identify the core functions and non core functions of the system thereby

making it easier to facilitate negotiations as well as trade-off analysis therefore making it

easier for the stakeholders to understand the priorities of the proposed system and therefore

letting go of noncore expectations of the system.

3.7 Negotiation

After the trade off analysis, sometimes there may be need to further discuss what

functions that may be forfeited in favour of others. There may be two functions that a system

is required to perform but due to technical, internal or external factors, the system may not be

able to sufficiently perform both functions. This therefore requires a further negotiation of

what function to let go off and what function to retain. (Carrillo de Gea et al., 2012), suggests

the creation of an artefact through which issues of design alternatives can be conclusively

REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 6

discussed and determined. The artefact must have a strategic dependency model that maps

out relationships between goals, tasks, actors and other issues specific to the project. The

model is then followed by a rationale that describes or gives out probable system solutions to

requirements with reason for the different choices.

4.0 Discussion

According to the (IEEE standard 610.12-1990), all requirements engineers are

supposed to subscribe to the followings standards, functionality, performance, attributes,

external interface and design constraints (Awasthi, Dr. R.N. Raizada and Dubey, 2012). In

essence, these are the main benefits of requirements engineering in software development.

4.1 Benefits of Requirement Engineering

Functionality

Functionality is the yardstick used to determine if the software was able to achieve its

prescribed functions. The purpose for which the software was created to do must be clear. In

requirements engineering, the stages of the engagement of the stake holders are clear

therefore giving clarity to the overall objective of what the software is supposed to do.

Performance

In performance, the software is said to perform or not based on the execution or

implementation of user requirements. Due to the clear stages of engagement with

stakeholders from the onset of software development, it is almost impossible not to have

software that does not conform to the user needs.

Attributes

The clear engagement with stakeholders from the inception of software development

to the end provides for the incorporations of characteristics such as portability, correctness of

the system, security and ability to maintain and debug errors even after the system has gone

live.

REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 7

External Interface

During validation, requirements engineering provides an opportunity for the

stakeholders to interact with the prototype, give suggestions, thereby giving the software an

opportunity to interact with the environment while at validation and prototype stage. This

ensures that the system already developed will have considerations for outsiders that interact

with the system.

Design Constraints

Requirements engineering affords a software development system to conform to

required standards in areas such as policies that involve a shared database, the limiting of

resources to different stakeholders and operating environment.

5.0 Conclusion

Requirements engineering refers to efforts involved in the identification,

communication and the purpose of software development and the function in which the

specified software will be used for. Requirements engineering is therefore the connection

between the day to day user needs, clients as well as other people and functions affected by

the software and the opportunities offered in the course of implementing the software.

Sometimes there have been challenges in software development where the design constraints

or external interfaces may not conform to the environment that the software is eventually

used in or even conforming to acceptable standards. The requirements engineering model of

engagement with stakeholders and the users of the system attempts to minimize the

anomalies brought about by other systems.

REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 8

References

Awasthi, A., Dr. R.N. Raizada, D. and Dubey, R. (2012). Metrics For Requirement

Engineering And Reuirement Tools A Comparative Study. GRA, 3(3), pp.8-8.

Bokhari, M. and Siddiqui, S. (2015). A Comparative Study of Software Requirements Tools

For Secure Software Development. [online] Academia.edu. Available at:

http://www.academia.edu/1297946/A_Comparative_Study_of_Software_Requirements

_Tools_For_Secure_Software_Development [Accessed 8 Aug. 2015].

Carrillo de Gea, J., NicolÃ¡s, J., FernÃ¡ndez AlemÃ¡n, J., Toval, A., Ebert, C. and

VizcaÃ-no, A. (2012). Requirements engineering tools: Capabilities, survey and

assessment. Information and Software Technology, 54(10), pp.1142-1157.

Ghaoui, C. (2006). Encyclopedia of human computer interaction. Hershey PA: Idea Group

Reference.

Gilb, T. and Brodie, L. (2005). Competitive engineering. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Holt, J., Perry, S. and Brownsword, M. (2012). Model-based requirements engineering.

Stevenage: Institution of Engineering and Technology.

slideshare.net, (2015). Survey on Requirements Engineering Tools. [online] Slideshare.net.

Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/jnicolasros/refsq2011-v4-def [Accessed 8 Aug.

2015].

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