A knowledge audit model for requirement elicitation: a case study to assess knowledge in requirement elicitation

This paper aims to develop a knowledge audit (KA) model with the focus on knowledge assessment in the requirements elicitation process (REP) to allay the problems of REP regarding knowledge communication. The principal problems with REP are knowledge conflict and the failure to mention a variety of knowledge and requirements changes. Despite of many existing studies relating to KA, inadequate effort has been directed towards investigating the full part played by the KA process in REP. The purpose of this paper is to bridge this gap using a software prototype that uses the KA model in the REP. This study proposes a KA model using an iterative triangulation method. The proposed model is validated through a case study by using a software prototype developed based on the proposed KA model to see if this KA model is effective for software developers in REP by improving the completeness, correctness, and understandability of the elicited requirements knowledge. Research findings are based on responses of 40 respondents from software development organizations. The results of case study confirmed the effectiveness of KA model for REP with respect to completeness, correctness, and understandability. This research answers the call to assess knowledge in REP by developing a KA model and prototype to fill the existing gap in this area. Overall, a KA model for REP is introduced and validated to identify and assess knowledge that supports knowledge communication in REP

An Empirical Study on the Role of Requirement Engineering in Agile Method and Its Impact on Quality

Agile Methods are characterized as flexible and easily adaptable. The need to keep up with multiple high-priority projects and shorter time-to-market demands could explain their increasing popularity. It also raises concerns of whether or not use of these methods jeopardizes quality. Since Agile methods allow for changes throughout the process, they also create probabilities to impact software quality at any time. This thesis examines the process of requirement engineering as performed with Agile method in terms of its similarities and differences to requirement engineering as performed with the more traditional Waterfall method. It compares both approaches from a software quality perspective using a case study of 16 software projects. The main contribution of this work is to bring empirical evidence from real life cases that illustrate how Agile methods significantly impacts software quality, including the potential for a larger number of defects due to poor non-functional requirements elicitation

Expert Elicitation for Reliable System Design

This paper reviews the role of expert judgement to support reliability assessments within the systems engineering design process. Generic design processes are described to give the context and a discussion is given about the nature of the reliability assessments required in the different systems engineering phases. It is argued that, as far as meeting reliability requirements is concerned, the whole design process is more akin to a statistical control process than to a straightforward statistical problem of assessing an unknown distribution. This leads to features of the expert judgement problem in the design context which are substantially different from those seen, for example, in risk assessment. In particular, the role of experts in problem structuring and in developing failure mitigation options is much more prominent, and there is a need to take into account the reliability potential for future mitigation measures downstream in the system life cycle. An overview is given of the stakeholders typically involved in large scale systems engineering design projects, and this is used to argue the need for methods that expose potential judgemental biases in order to generate analyses that can be said to provide rational consensus about uncertainties. Finally, a number of key points are developed with the aim of moving toward a framework that provides a holistic method for tracking reliability assessment through the design process.Comment: This paper commented in: [arXiv:0708.0285], [arXiv:0708.0287], [arXiv:0708.0288]. Rejoinder in [arXiv:0708.0293]. Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/088342306000000510 in the Statistical Science (http://www.imstat.org/sts/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Exact Requirements Engineering for Developing Business Process Models

Process modeling is a suitable tool for improving the business processes. Successful process modeling strongly depends on correct requirements engineering. In this paper, we proposed a combination approach for requirements elicitation for developing business models. To do this, BORE (Business-Oriented Requirements Engineering) method is utilized as the base of our work and it is enriched by the important features of the BDD (Business-driven development) method, in order to make the proposed approach appropriate for modeling the more complex processes. As the main result, our method eventuates in exact requirements elicitation that adapts the customers' needs. Also, it let us avoid any rework in the modeling of process. In this paper, we conduct a case study for the paper submission and publication system of a journal. The results of this study not only give a good experience of real world application of proposed approach on a web-based system, also it approves the proficiency of this approach for modeling the complex systems with many sub-processes and complicated relationships.Comment: (IEEE) 3th International Conference on Web Researc

Activity Based Generation of Requirements for Web-Based Information Systems: The SSM/ICDT Approach

Web site development method is at an early stage in its evolution. Most existing methods are concerned with technical software issues and are poorly adapted to help developers think about fundamental changes to existing business models that Web-based environments make possible. In addition, traditional methods of requirements elicitation dependent on users are often impractical. The approach described in this paper combines the well-tested ability of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to deliver useful models of business process (human activity systems), with recent thinking about mature Internet business strategies from INSEAD. Mapping the four virtual spaces of the ICDT model (information, communication, distribution and transaction) onto business activity models via a simple matrix ensures a reasonably sophisticated view of Web site potential, and ties it firmly to fundamental business processes. The approach, which is simple to learn and a small overhead in terms of development effort, is illustrated with a case study