Effective requirements management is the foundation of any successful project. Without a proper record of project objectives followed by specific requirements, what needs to be done, developed, tested and delivered, any major project will run into problems and guesswork about what was agreed, when and for how much.
More about requirements management
The concept of requirements management is commonplace for larger software projects, but it is just as commonplace for any other major project - from a shop refurbishment, to a change in production, to building a road or a nuclear power station.
Requirements need to be collected, sorted, analyzed, and tracked. There are many dependencies between requirements, they have priorities, they are linked to different deliverables, people, etc.
Requirements need to be shared because many people are working on them - someone is thinking them up, someone else is commenting on them, approving them, passing them on to the supplier who is implementing them. Others to the requirements need to determine how it will be verified that they have been met.
Quality requirements management requires a quality system and methodology
You can't manage requirements well without reasonable system support. While a mind map (e.g., in Freeplan) or even a spreadsheet (typically in a spreadsheet editor such as Calc or Excel) may suffice for a small project, these tools are completely inadequate with a larger project. They do not allow to monitor the progress of activities, to keep the necessary overview and especially fail in maintaining dependencies.
Standards require a system for managing requirements
If a project must comply with any standard (e.g. PMBOK, ASPICE, VDA 6.3) or norm (e.g. ISO 61508, ISO 26262) a requirements management system is a must. Standards require requirements traceability & decomposition. An independent review shall ensure that nothing is forgotten.
Standards and norms do not differ much in their requirements management and governance. Therefore, a tool that meets one standard will usually meet the others. The main thing to look for is the actual coverage of not only the requirements of the standard, but also the overall usability and integration of the requirements with project management.
We provide management and administration of requirements
We have experience with requirements management from projects of all sizes. In addition, we can use tools that automate requirements management and save most of the work. With our experience, you will ensure that all requirements are handled properly.
We can help you:
- Define methodologies for managing requirements
- Oversee that all requirements are properly documented
- Check that there are checking methods for all requirements
- Independent check that everybody processes requirements properl
System support for requirements management
If your project does not have requirements management tools, we can provide system support for managing all requirements management processes as well as for documenting and analysing them.
Integration with acceptance testing
We are experienced in managing the acceptance process. We will ensure that there is an acceptance procedure for all requirements and oversee that the acceptance is properly documented.
Acceptance tests are important not only during handover between contractors, but also at each stage of the project. We can also help with internal handover within the team.
Form of support
Our support can include one or all forms of help for your project:
- Consultation - to set up the proper procedures and responsibilities
- Training (project management, requirements management)
- Assistance throughout the project - overseeing requirements, checking that all procedures are being followed, organising the work
- Verification oversight - acceptance testing, including preparation and planning
- System support for documentation and automation of the requirements
- Providing documents and documentation for project audit
