Case studies

Computer says yes

Research Project Title: Application of Effective Requirements Engineering Practices for Software Process Improvement

Many businesses know first hand that getting a new software system can deliver huge benefits by automating time-consuming tasks, increasing the flow of information, reducing human error and generally making life more efficient. But they also find that it tends to come with budget and schedule blow outs and all too often the software still doesn't deliver on everything it promised.

Most companies find they need to change their business processes and needs to fit with the software which usually means the software didn't meet their requirements in the first place.

Dr Didar Zowghi (founder of the Requirements Engineering Research Group in UTS:IT) and Dr Daniela Damian worked with a major multinational software developer and identified that communication problems between client companies and software developers are the root cause of all these woes.

Drs Zowghi and Damian believe that clients can get software that meets their needs if software engineers communicate with clients, evaluate their expectations and then tailor or modify software systems to their specific requirements.

They also believe that aligning company requirements with software capability can be achieved if companies pay more attention to gathering, managing and analysing their requirements, and conduct a full audit of the processes involved.

"The whole area of requirements engineering needs more rigour and a systematic approach to elicit information from users that can then be used to build software systems that are delivered on time and within budget." Dr Zowghi says.

"We advocate and encourage software engineers to spend time and effort on finding out their clients' requirements, which will save money and result in better quality software."

Dr Zowghi went on to conduct further research with the same software multinational, this time investigating the impact of 'requirements volatility' the post-scoping changes to requirements that are behind most cost and time blow-outs and which can also cause development problems and ultimately affect the functionality of the software.

The results of this work have been taken up by the industry partner, with a new Change Control Process, and improved requirements practices which mean they can elicit, understand, analyse and meet their clients' needs and develop software that delivers.

Contact: Associate Professor Toni Robertson, Faculty of Information Technology
Email: Toni@it.uts.edu.au
Tel: (02) 9514 1966