A Measurement-Driven Process Model For Managing Inconsistent Software Requirements

Inconsistency is a pervasive issue in software engineering. Both general rules of inconsistency management and special case-based approaches to handling inconsistency have recently been considered. In this paper, we present a process model for handling requirements inconsistency within the Viewpoints framework. In this process model, when an inconsistency among viewpoints is detected, a set of candidate proposals for handling inconsistency will be generated using techniques fromMulti-agent automated negotiations. The proposals are then prioritized using an integrated measurement of inconsistencies. The viewpoints involved in the inconsistency will then enter the negotiations by being presented with the candidate proposals and thus selecting an acceptable proposal based on the priorities associated with each candidate proposal. To facilitate usability, in our process, we assume that the natural language requirements statements are first translated into corresponding logical formulas using a translator software. Moreover, the candidate proposals for handling inconsistency are also translated back from formal logic into natural language before being presented for selection

Semantics of trace relations in requirements models for consistency checking and inferencing

Requirements traceability is the ability to relate requirements back to stakeholders and forward to corresponding design artifacts, code, and test cases. Although considerable research has been devoted to relating requirements in both forward and backward directions, less attention has been paid to relating requirements with other requirements. Relations between requirements influence a number of activities during software development such as consistency checking and change management. In most approaches and tools, there is a lack of precise definition of requirements relations. In this respect, deficient results may be produced. In this paper, we aim at formal definitions of the relation types in order to enable reasoning about requirements relations. We give a requirements metamodel with commonly used relation types. The semantics of the relations is provided with a formalization in first-order logic. We use the formalization for consistency checking of relations and for inferring new relations. A tool has been built to support both reasoning activities. We illustrate our approach in an example which shows that the formal semantics of relation types enables new relations to be inferred and contradicting relations in requirements documents to be determined. The application of requirements reasoning based on formal semantics resolves many of the deficiencies observed in other approaches. Our tool supports better understanding of dependencies between requirements

Experiences with the use of MERODE in the development of a web based application.

This article presents an experience report on using MERODE as the business modeling method for the development of a web application. MERODE has several advantages as improving the flexibility and maintainability of applications and the possibility of doing automated verification and validation on the internal consistency of the model. The application's main functionalities were managing the organisation of events and managing the general information of a research group. The developed application was monitored in order to check its flexibility and maintainability and also to verify the feasibility of using the method. The results show that in fact the flexibility and maintainability of the application were satisfactory.

Is agile project management applicable to construction?

This paper briefly summarises the evolution of Agile Project Management (APM) and differentiates it from lean and agile production and ‘leagile’ construction. The significant benefits being realized through employment of APM within the information systems industry are stated. The characteristics of APM are explored, including: philosophy, organizational attitudes and practices, planning, execution and control and learning. Finally, APM is subjectively assessed as to its potential contribution to the pre-design, design and construction phases. In conclusion, it is assessed that APM offers considerable potential for application in predesign and design but that there are significant hurdles to its adoption in the actual construction phase. Should these be overcome, APM offers benefits well beyond any individual project