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Requirements analysis for software
Requirements engineering – the key to successful software projects
In the process of developing new products or services, ideas are refined and concretised step by step. When it comes to implementing the software, all requirements must be known and all scenarios that may occur during operation need to be considered.
The different perspectives of the specialist business department and the IT department often clash at this point, especially when it comes to determining the level of granularity needed to formulate the requirements. This can have far-reaching consequences and jeopardise the framework parameters of the software project (scope, time, quality and budget).
Solving this challenge requires a bridge builder between the specialist department and IT. Our software requirements analysis closes this gap, making a significant contribution to the efficiency and success of any IT project.
+49 7541 70078-784What do you expect from your software? A requirements analysis will tell you.
Robust requirements are crucial, and a thorough and professional requirements analysis for software is essential in achieving this. Before starting with the actual implementation of an IT solution, a requirements analysis is carried out. We involve both the specialist department and the IT department in order to foster a shared understanding of the solution. Functional and technical requirements are documented, refined and prioritised, since not all requirements are equal.
A suitable software solution for your business
Requirements are formulated from various perspectives. We consider:
Business requirements
WHAT should the software do?
Business (functional) requirements play a crucial role in ensuring the correctness and security of the software, as well as having an impact on usability.
Technical requirements
HOW should the software do it?
Classic examples of technical (non-functional) requirements are:
- Reliability (robustness)
- Convertibility (reusability)
- Portability (compatibility)
- Efficiency (reduced use of resources)
Business Design
The basis for the success of a software project lies in clear and unambiguous requirements. At doubleSlash we employ methods such as graphical modeling and visualisation of requirements as part of our business design process. We use industry-standard approaches to allow the models to be used for subsequent system documentation.
Subprocesses in requirements analysis: Gathering, management, prioritisation and visualisation of requirements
Gathering
A software project usually involves a number of different interest groups or stakeholders. Whether it’s the various departments involved, the project sponsor or the future users: each stakeholder has certain requirements of the software and these are often conflicting. We gather the requirements, document them in compliance with the characteristics of ‘good’ requirements such as clarity and feasibility, and align them with all stakeholders. The result is a comprehensive and consistent requirements catalog on which all stakeholders have reached consensus.
Management
Requirements can change content-wise over the course of a project or even become obsolete, while new requirements may be added. Managing these change requests is essential to ensure that the requirements catalog remains consistent and to avoid jeopardising the goals of the project.
Prioritisation
While every requirement is important, the full implementation of all requirements often exceeds budget constraints. That’s why we conduct prioritisation workshops where requirements are prioritised in agreement with all stakeholders. A simple and easily understandable form of prioritisation is to divide the requirements into the categories MUST, SHOULD and CAN. The result of this prioritisation is a requirements catalog sorted by importance. How do I prioritise requirements for a software solution?
Visualisation
‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ as the saying goes. From an initial rough representation to a preliminary visualisation of functional concepts, all the way to a detailed model which developers can translate into software. Models help in understanding a subject matter quickly and fostering a common understanding of the solution among all stakeholders. Different issues are represented by different types of diagrams: Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a widely accepted standard for the graphical representation of business processes, for example. Visualisation plays a central role in our experience. We have coined a term for this and refer to it as business design.
Solution alternatives
Once the requirements for a project have been agreed upon, there are often various ways of implementing them. It is important to evaluate the alternatives based on relevant criteria and find the best solution for the specific purpose. The criteria can include factors such as financial effort, dependency on software suppliers as well as strategic decisions at corporate level.
doubleSlash: Your IT partner for professional requirements analysis
We talk business and deliver IT solutions. Based on the subprocesses involved in requirements analysis, we identify the requirements for a software solution and translate them into a suitable software design. Many of our highly-qualified specialist consultants hold Product Owner or CPRE certification (Certified Professionals for Requirements Engineering) and bring a wealth of methodological expertise as well as best practices derived from numerous software projects.
Tested and certified for use in your company
We’ll be happy to assist you with a professional requirements analysis for your software project!
Do you want to ensure the success of your software project? Get in touch.
