Detecting Functional Requirements Inconsistencies within Multi-teams Projects Framed into a Model-based Web Methodology

One of the most essential processes within the software project life cycle is the REP (Requirements Engineering Process) because it allows specifying the software product requirements. This specification should be as consistent as possible because it allows estimating in a suitable manner the effort required to obtain the final product. REP is complex in itself, but this complexity is greatly increased in big, distributed and heterogeneous projects with multiple analyst teams and high integration between functional modules. This paper presents an approach for the systematic conciliation of functional requirements in big projects dealing with a web model-based approach and how this approach may be implemented in the context of the NDT (Navigational Development Techniques): a web methodology. This paper also describes the empirical evaluation in the CALIPSOneo project by analyzing the improvements obtained with our approach.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TIN2013-46928-C3-3-RMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad TIN2015-71938-RED

A requirements engineering framework for integrated systems development for the construction industry

Computer Integrated Construction (CIC) systems are computer environments through which collaborative working can be undertaken. Although many CIC systems have been developed to demonstrate the communication and collaboration within the construction projects, the uptake of CICs by the industry is still inadequate. This is mainly due to the fact that research methodologies of the CIC development projects are incomplete to bridge the technology transfer gap. Therefore, defining comprehensive methodologies for the development of these systems and their effective implementation on real construction projects is vital. Requirements Engineering (RE) can contribute to the effective uptake of these systems because it drives the systems development for the targeted audience. This paper proposes a requirements engineering approach for industry driven CIC systems development. While some CIC systems are investigated to build a broad and deep contextual knowledge in the area, the EU funded research project, DIVERCITY (Distributed Virtual Workspace for Enhancing Communication within the Construction Industry), is analysed as the main case study project because its requirements engineering approach has the potential to determine a framework for the adaptation of requirements engineering in order to contribute towards the uptake of CIC systems

Prototypointimenetelmien käyttö käyttäjäkeskeisessä suunnitteluprosessissa

To stay competitive in the rapidly evolving business environment, organizations need to be able to create innovations. Novel new products are often created with experimentation, which means that organizations need to use practices that support experimentation. Prototyping is one such practice. Agile software development embraces changing requirements, which makes it suitable for experimentation-driven product development. The overall research problem considers how different types of prototyping approaches can support fast-paced product development in an agile software development project. Research questions include: 1. How to improve prototyping for fast-paced agile software development? 2. How can prototyping support agile requirements engineering? The research consists of two main parts: literature review and empirical research, which includes action research and interviews. Prototyping could be improved for the purposes of fast-paced agile software projects by using simplified prototypes and small focused prototypes to make it possible to iterate the design of user interface elements faster. Additionally, low-fidelity prototyping and participatory design could be useful for agile projects. To make large high-fidelity prototypes faster to iterate, better tooling is needed. Prototyping can support agile requirements engineering e.g. by acting as documentation, facilitating communication and by making big picture clearer.Pysyäkseen kilpailukykyisinä nopeasti kehittyvässä liiketoimintaympäristössä organisaatioiden pitää kyetä luomaan innovaatioita. Uudenlaiset tuotteet saadaan usein aikaiseksi kokeilujen avulla, mistä johtuen on käytettävä käytäntöjä, jotka tukevat kokeilujen tekemistä. Prototypointi on yksi tällainen käytäntö. Ketterä ohjelmistokehitys ottaa halukkaasti vastaan muuttuvat vaatimusmääritykset, joten se soveltuu kokeiluita hyödyntävään tuotteiden kehitykseen. Tutkimusongelma tarkastelee, kuinka erilaiset prototypointitavat tukevat nopeatempoista tuotekehitystä ketterässä ohjelmistokehitysprojektissa. Tutkimuskysymykset ovat: 1. Kuinka prototypointia voidaan kehittää nopeatempoista ketterää ohjelmistokehitystä varten? 2. Kuinka prototypointi tukee ketterää vaatimusmäärittelyä? Tutkimus sisältää kaksi pääosaa: kirjallisuuskatsauksen ja kokeellisen osan, joka koostuu haastatteluista ja toimintatutkimuksesta. Prototypointia voidaan kehittää nopeatempoisten ketterien ohjelmistoprojektien tarpeisiin käyttämällä yksinkertaistettuja prototyyppejä sekä pienempiä ja fokusoituneempia prototyyppejä käyttöliittymäelementtien designin iteroinnin nopeuttamiseksi. Matalan tarkkuuden prototyypit ja osallistava suunnittelu voivat myös olla avuksi ketterissä projekteissa. Isojen korkean tarkkuuden prototyyppien iteroinnin nopeuttaminen vaatii uusien työkalujen kehittämistä. Prototypointi voi tukea ketterää vaatimusmäärittelyä esim. toimimalla dokumentaationa, helpottamalla kommunikaatiota ja tekemällä ns. ison kuvan selvemmäksi

The changing perception in the artefacts used in the design practice through BIM adoption

When CAD (Computer Aided Design) was generally adopted in the early 1990’s, the hand drawn process was replaced with the CAD drawing but the nature of the artefacts / deliverables and the exchanges of information between disciplines remained fundamentally the same. The deliverables remained 2D representations of 3D forms and Specifications and Bill of Quantities. However, the building industry is under great pressure to provide value for money, sustainable design and construction. This has propelled the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM). BIM is a foundational tool for a team based lean design approach. It can enable the intelligent interrogation of design; provide a quicker and cheaper design production; better co-ordination of documentation; more effective change control; less repetition of processes; a better quality constructed product; and improved communication both for the architectural practice and across the supply chain. As BIM enables a new of working methodology, it entails the change in perceiving artefacts used and deliverables produced in the design and construction stages. In other words, defining what the informational issues are, who does what and who is responsible for what and the level of detail required at each stage in design and construction is critically important to adopt and implement BIM in the construction sector. This paper presents the key findings through the action research methodology about the change in the nature of artefacts and deliverables resulting from the BIM adoption in the KTP (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) project undertaken by the University of Salford and John McCall Architects

Improving requirements engineering by artefact orientation

The importance of continuously improving requirements engineering (RE) has been recognised for many years. Similar to available software process improvement approaches, most RE improvement approaches focus on a normative and solution-driven assessment of companies rather than on a problem-driven RE improvement. The approaches dictate the implementation of a one-size-fits-all reference model without doing a proper problem investigation first, whereas the notion of quality factually depends on whether RE achieves company-specific goals. The approaches furthermore propagate process areas and methods, without proper awareness of the quality in the created artefacts on which the quality of many development phases rely. Little knowledge exists about how to conduct a problem-driven RE improvement that gives attention to the improvement of the artefacts. A promising solution is to start an improvement with an empirical investigation of the RE stakeholders, goals, and artefacts in the company to identify problems while abstracting from inherently complex processes. The RE improvement is then defined and implemented in joint action research workshops with the stakeholders to validate potential solutions while again concentrating on the artefacts. In this paper, we contribute an artefact-based, problem-driven RE improvement approach that emerged from a series of completed RE improvements. We discuss lessons learnt and present first result from an ongoing empirical evaluation at a German company. Our results suggest that our approach supports process engineers in a problem-driven RE improvement, but we need deeper examination of the resulting RE company standard, which is in scope of the final evaluation

Strategic use of Scrum framework on BPMS projects

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Information Systems and Technologies ManagementIt is rare to find nowadays a business methodology that does not involve any kind of technology, whether in the research or development phases. One methodology that rises above the others when it comes to business processes is BPM. This type of methodology when added a specific software with BPMS integrated becomes highly beneficial to implement. Nevertheless, there are always flaws and gaps that could be filled. On the other hand, software development companies have grown exponentially since the digital transformation was accepted. One reason for that is the working methodology these types of companies follow, as they are known as Agile companies. What this document aims to present is enough artefacts and pros for Scrum, an Agile framework, to rule BPMS projects and minimize the current failures. This dissertation follows a design science research approach to apply multiple analytical methods and perspectives to create an artefact. The type of evidence within this methodology is a systematic literature review, to attain insights into the current state-of-the-art research of BPMS projects and Scrum. Thereby, the systematic literature review shall be used to pinpoint, analyse, and comprehend the obtainable empirical studies and research questions. This approach supports the main goal of this dissertation, to develop and propose evidencebased practise guidelines for the implementation of the Scrum framework on BPMS projects strategy

Detecting web requirements conflicts and inconsistencies under a model-based perspective

Web requirements engineering is an essential phase in the software project life cycle for the project results. This phase covers different activities and tasks that in many situations, depending on the analyst’s experience or intuition, help getting accurate specifications. One of these tasks is the conciliation of requirements in projects with different groups of users. This article presents an approach for the systematic conciliation of requirements in big projects dealing with a model-based approach. The article presents a possible implementation of the approach in the context of the NDT (Navigational Development Techniques) Methodology and shows the empirical evaluation in a real project by analysing the improvements obtained with our approach. The paper presents interesting results that demonstrate that we can get a reduction in the time required to find conflicts between requirements, which implies a reduction in the global development costs.Laboratorio de Investigación y Formación en Informática Avanzad

Detecting web requirements conflicts and inconsistencies under a model-based perspective

Web requirements engineering is an essential phase in the software project life cycle for the project results. This phase covers different activities and tasks that in many situations, depending on the analyst’s experience or intuition, help getting accurate specifications. One of these tasks is the conciliation of requirements in projects with different groups of users. This article presents an approach for the systematic conciliation of requirements in big projects dealing with a model-based approach. The article presents a possible implementation of the approach in the context of the NDT (Navigational Development Techniques) Methodology and shows the empirical evaluation in a real project by analysing the improvements obtained with our approach. The paper presents interesting results that demonstrate that we can get a reduction in the time required to find conflicts between requirements, which implies a reduction in the global development costs.Laboratorio de Investigación y Formación en Informática Avanzad