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Requirements Traceability: Planning, Tracking and Managing Requirements

Requirements Traceability: Planning, Tracking and Managing Requirements. Presenter: Paula R. Maychruk, BV/TEd., CAPM, CBAP. Key Learning Points. Describe requirement attributes, and how they can assist with requirements planning and prioritization (PLANNING)

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Requirements Traceability: Planning, Tracking and Managing Requirements

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  1. Requirements Traceability: Planning, Tracking and Managing Requirements Presenter: Paula R. Maychruk, BV/TEd., CAPM, CBAP

  2. Key Learning Points • Describe requirement attributes, and how they can assist with requirements planning and prioritization (PLANNING) • Understand how to trace requirements from planning, through design and development, and on into the testing and implementation phases of a project/product (TRACKING) • Recognize how requirements traceability can facilitate requirements change (MANAGING)

  3. Session Agenda • Planning (and Prioritizing) Requirements “Setting up for Traceability” • Tracking Requirements “Traceability in Action” • Managing Requirements “The Power of Traceability”

  4. Traceability, Defined • Links downstream work products to the purpose for which they were created • Provides a process to confirm that the Requirements Elicitation process is complete • Ensures that project work is not authorized for items that are outside of project scope • Enables stakeholder notification during the change management process • Increases quality on all project sizes and types • Facilitates the requirements change control process BABOK, Version 1.6, Page 131

  5. The PLANNING Process • Identify the business problem • Drill down to the business needs/wants • Create a detailed scope list • Set initial business priorities and assess overall business risk • Determine what the high- to mid-level business requirements are (feature list) • Assign requirements attributes

  6. The PLANNING Process – continued • Set priorities (based on both business and technical attributes) • Begin defining high-level estimates • Refine scope of the project; re-prioritize (if necessary) • Once final scope is set, begin documenting detailed requirements (including NFRs) • Control requirements change

  7. Where Does Traceability Begin? • Start with Business Needs/Wants • Start with Scope • Start with High-Level Business Requirements • Start with Product Features • Requirements Attributes

  8. User Needs Trace High-Level Product Desc Enterprise Analysis Design & Construction Trace Trace Requirements Gathering & Analysis BRD Supp Specs Design Artifact Trace Trace Trace Test Case Test Case Test Period Traceability in the BABOK BABOK, Version 1.6, Page 132

  9. Requirements Numbering • Unique numeric and/or textual identifier (R1, R2, etc.) • Can use prefix to differentiate between Functional and Non-Functional requirements (F1, F2 and N1, N2, etc.) • No rules, except no duplicates • Absolute reference – not to be altered or re-used if the requirement is moved, changed or deleted

  10. Requirements Attributes – BABOK Definitions • “Requirements attributes provide information about the requirement…” • “The information documented by the attributes helps the team efficiently and effectively make tradeoffs between requirements… understanding the impact of a proposed change.” BABOK, Version 1.6, Page 203

  11. Requirement ID Version Owner Source Status Risk Complexity Stability Priority Author Use Case Xref Dependencies Test Case Xref Types of Attributes (Examples)

  12. Prioritizing Requirements • Using Requirement Attributes • High risk items should be implemented first, but only if high stability • High complexity items should be implemented first, but only if medium-low risk • Ranking adjusted based on business/technical priority • Using Agile Methodology • Start with items of technical/architectural significance

  13. Calculating Requirements Priority • Risk * Complexity * Stability * Priority = Calculated Rating • Risk (H = 5, M = 3, L = 1) • Complexity (H = 5, M = 3, L = 1) • Stability (H = 1, M = 3, L = 5) • Priority (H = 5, M = 3, L = 1) • Scoring • Highest Point Value = 625 • Lowest Point Value = 1

  14. Requirements Cross-Referencing • Types of Requirements Xrefs: • High-level business requirements or features • Use Cases or User Stories (detailed requirements) • Supplementary Specifications (NFRs) • Design elements • Development components • Test scenarios, test cases

  15. The TRACKING Process • Tracing requirements through: • Requirements Planning • Solution Design • Software Development (Coding) • System Testing • Implementation

  16. Traceability Matrix – Part 1

  17. Traceability Matrix – Part 2

  18. Traceability and the BRD • BRD = detailed requirements • For a large BRD, issue amendments • If design is in progress, issue amendments • If design is finished, updated detailed design doc (development) and the BRD (testing) • Use Cases – separate documents with overall index (easier to update and maintain) • Requirements versioning

  19. Traceability @ Implementation • All requirements should now be marked “complete” • Validate that all requirements were met • Validate that all business objectives were met • Metrics: • Assess the % of unused requirements • Assess the % of changed requirements • Were estimates accurate?

  20. The MANAGING Process • Managing requirements by: • Controlling scope • Responding to change • Change management (project change control) • Traceability

  21. Controlling Scope • Requirements Change Control • New • Modifications • Removal • Avoid SCOPE CREEP • Alignment with business objectives • Using traceability to assess impact

  22. Responding to Change • Typical responses to change: • Sniff out change early • Scurry into action • Deny and resist change; fear it will lead to something worse • Learn to adapt in time • Become a Change ______________ • (Advocate, Navigator, Catalyst)

  23. Change Management • Generate formal Change Requests • Revisit the source of the requirement • Involve requirement owner in evaluating the proposed change • Cycle back through the phases, beginning with Draft

  24. Traceability for Changed Requirements • Update the Traceability Matrix to reflect changes to requirements • Requirements versioning • Document, document, document! • Consider dependencies, linked documentation • Re-prioritize (if necessary)

  25. Post-Project Uses for Traceability • Obtain sign-off • Governance/Steering Committee reviews • Project Close-out reports • Lessons Learned

  26. In Summary… • Plan the Work, Work the Plan • Requirements Attributes are Key • Underscoring Traceability: Knowledge is POWER • Traceability Matrix = Roadmap for Success

  27. Key Learning Points • Describe requirement attributes, and how they can assist with requirements planning and prioritization • Understand how to trace requirements from planning, through design and development, and on into the testing and implementation phases of a project/product • Recognize how requirements traceability can facilitate requirements change

  28. Questions?

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