Analysis of requirements quality evolution

Proceedings of: 40th International Conference on Software Engineering in Gothenburg, Sweden, May 27 - June 03, 2018A fundamental aspect in the requirements engineering process is to know the quality of a specification, including how the quality evolves over time. This paper introduces an industrial approach for analysis of requirements quality evolution. The approach has been implemented in the System Quality Analyzer tool, exploits quality metrics for requirements correctness, consistency, and completeness, and is based on the storage of quality information in snapshots that are combined and displayed in charts. This can help practitioners to assess the progress and status of a requirements engineering process and to make decisions.The AMASS project (H2020-ECSEL grant agreement no 692474; Spain's MINECO ref. PCIN-2015-262) has funded this work

AMASS: A Large-Scale European Project to Improve the Assurance and Certification of Cyber-Physical Systems

Most safety-critical systems must undergo assurance and certification processes. The associated activities can be complex and labour-intensive, thus practitioners need suitable means to execute them. The activities are further becoming more challenging as a result of the evolution of the systems towards cyber-physical ones, as these systems have new assurance and certification needs. The AMASS project (Architecture-driven, Multi-concern and Seamless Assurance and Certification of Cyber-Physical Systems) tackled these issues by creating and consolidating the de-facto European-wide open tool platform, ecosystem, and self-sustainable community for assurance and certification of cyber-physical systems. The project defined a novel holistic approach for architecture-driven assurance, multi-concern assurance, seamless interoperability, and cross- and intra-domain reuse of assurance assets. AMASS results were applied in 11 industrial case studies to demonstrate the reduction of effort in assurance and certification, the reduction of (re)certification cost, the reduction of assurance and certification risks, and the increase in technology harmonisation and interoperability.The research leading to this paper has received funding from the AMASS project (H2020-ECSEL grant agreement no 692474; Spain’s MINECO ref. PCIN-2015-262; Sweden’s Vinnova) and the Ramon y Cajal Program (Spain’s MICINN ref. RYC-2017-22836; EC’s European Social Fund). We are also grateful to all the AMASS partners. Their work and results are summarised in this paper

Assessment of the Quality of Safety Cases: A Research Preview

Proceedings of the 25th International Working Conference, REFSQ 2019, Essen, Germany, March 18–21, 2019.[Context and motivation] Safety-critical systems in application domains such as aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and railway are subject to assurance processes to provide confidence that the systems do not pose undue risks to people, property, or the environment. The development of safety cases is usually part of these processes to justify that a system satisfies its safety requirements and thus is dependable. [Question/problem] Although safety cases have been used in industry for over two decades, their management still requires improvement. Important weaknesses have been identified and means to assess the quality of safety cases are limited. [Principal ideas/results] This paper presents a research preview on the assessment of the quality of safety cases. We explain how the area should develop and present our preliminary work towards enabling the assessment with Verification Studio, an industrial tool for system artefact quality analysis. [Contribution] The insights provided allow researchers and practitioners to gain an understanding of why safety case quality requires further investigation, what aspects must be considered, and how quality assessment could be performed in practice.The research leading to this paper has received funding from the AMASS project (H2020-ECSEL ID 692474; Spain’s MINECO ref. PCIN-2015-262). We also thank REFSQ reviewers for their valuable comments to improve the paper

GA-Based Optimization for Multivariable Level Control System: A Case Study of Multi-Tank System

This paper presents a systematic way to determine the trade-off optimized controller tunings using computation optimization technique for both servo and regulatory controls of the Multi-Tank System, as one of the applications under the multivariable loop principle. The paper describes an improved way to obtain the best Proportional-Integral (PI) controller tunings in reducing the dependency on engineering knowledge, practical experiences and complex mathematical calculations. Relative Gain Array (RGA) calculation justified the degree of relation and the best pairing for both interacted control loops. Genetic Algorithm (GA), as one of the most prestigious techniques, was used to analyze the best controller tunings based on factor parameters of iterations, populations and mutation rates to the applied First Order plus Dead Time (FOPDT) models in the multivariable loop. Amid simulation analysis, GA analysis’s reliability was justified by comparing its performance with the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) analysis. The research outcome was visualized by generating the process responses from the LOOP-PRO’s multi-tank function, whereby the GA tunings’ responses were compared with the conventional tuning methods. In conclusion, the result exhibits that the GA optimization analysis has successfully demonstrated the most satisfactory performance for both servo and regulatory controls

Aplicación de algoritmos de inteligencia artificial a la optimización de la calidad de requisitos mediante sugerencias automáticas de mejora

Mención Internacional en el título de doctorIncluye: Fe de erratas, pp. 107-110.La especificación de requisitos es de vital importancia en la planificación de un proyecto, es aquí en donde se especifican los límites y las bases sobre las que se va a sustentar dicho proyecto. Esta tesis se ha centrado en la ingeniería de requisitos. Siendo la creación de requisitos de calidad, la mejora de la eficiencia y la automatización de tareas los objetivos principales. Para poder alcanzar nuestros objetivos, se cuenta con 1035 requisitos que han sido previamente clasificados dependiendo de su calidad y posteriormente descritos por 26 atributos. De esta manera, los datos obtenidos sirven como muestra para extrapolar los conocimientos hacia cualquier otra base de datos. Una de las fortalezas de esta tesis es el alcance del proyecto, se ha diseñado un sistema capaz de adaptarse a cualquier base de requisitos. Independientemente de los clasificadores utilizados. Una barrera que se ha conseguido sobrepasar gracias a la utilización de los algoritmos genéticos. Para ello, se ha creado un método que se resume en los siguientes pasos: Primero se clasificarán los requisitos mediante la extracción de métricas de calidad que serán tomadas como base por el clasificador binario. En segundo lugar, se tomarán todos aquellos requisitos clasificados como de mala calidad y se utilizarán algoritmos genéticos para proponer soluciones de cambio optimizados de acuerdo con los costes de esfuerzo estimados. La principal conclusión que se puede extraer es que los algoritmos genéticos nos pueden ofrecer soluciones interesantes aplicables en ingeniería de requisitos. Obteniendo así un ahorro de costes, automatizando tareas y favoreciendo una planificación más sólida y eficiente en cualquier proyecto.The specification of requirements is of vital importance in the planning of a project, it is here where the limits and the bases on which the project will be based are specified. This research project has focused on requirements engineering. The main objectives are the creation of quality requirements, the improvement of efficiency, and the automation of tasks. To achieve our objectives, there are 1,035 requirements that have been previously classified depending on their quality and subsequently described by 26 attributes. In this way, the data obtained serve as a sample to extrapolate the knowledge to any other database. One of the strengths of the thesis is the scope of the project, a system capable of adapting to any base of requirements has been designed. Regardless of the classifiers used. A barrier that has been overcome thanks to the use of genetic algorithms. To do this, a method has been created that is summarized in the following steps: First, the requirements will be classified by extracting quality metrics that will be taken as a basis by the binary classifier. Second, all those requirements classified as bad will be taken and genetic algorithms will be used to propose optimized change solutions according to the estimated effort costs. The main conclusion that can be drawn is that genetic algorithms offer us interesting solutions applicable to requirements engineering. Thus obtaining cost savings, automating tasks, and favoring more solid and efficient planning in any project. project.Programa de Doctorado en Ciencia y Tecnología Informática por la Universidad Carlos III de MadridPresidente: José María Álvarez Rodríguez.- Secretaria: Susana Irene Díaz Rodríguez.- Vocal: Cristina Paniagua Mur

O contributo do intraempreendedorismo para o desenvolvimento de sistemas de gestão de qualidade

Carrying out a curricular internship, the purpose was to create a non-conformity management system, with the intention of improving the company's quality image and reducing the number of non-conformities and complaints that arose in the organization. Therefore, the system's objective would be to develop a standardizing language, improve the organization's data processing and analysis, find a method of establishing specific actions for certain non-conformities, raise awareness of the importance of control techniques, encourage collaboration between sectors and a continuous improvement. To this end, the importance that stakeholders have in the organization is highlighted and how they can contribute to the continuous improvement of the company, maintaining its sustainability and acquiring competitiveness in the market. Effectively, in order to exist this awareness of improvement within the business environment, an intrapreneurial culture must be instilled. This culture inspires a work environment conducive to the cooperation of human resources in solving problems with risk consideration, using their critical spirit and creativity in a proactive way to improve processes, products and services or even, disruptively, innovate what can be done in the organization. Hence, a mixed methodology was used. This means that this case study has qualitative data, through texts and documents, unstructured interviews with human resources and observations made to the firm. Moreover, it has quantitative data provided by the administration facilitating a more detailed knowledge of the team. Thus, the internal workings of the firm were known and a system was adapted to it with registration documents suited to the work flow and reality of the workforce. This system follows the Kaizen philosophy and has management tools such as visual standards, cause-effect diagrams and flowcharts, which support the structuring of the system and the guidance for the team's way of acting.Na realização de um estágio curricular, ambicionou-se o desenvolvimento de um sistema de gestão de não conformidades, com o intuito de melhorar a imagem de qualidade da empresa e reduzir o número de não conformidades e reclamações que surgiam na organização. Por conseguinte, o objetivo do sistema seria desenvolver uma linguagem uniformizadora, melhorar o tratamento e análise de dados da organização, arranjar um método de estabelecer ações específicas para as determinadas não conformidades, sensibilizar a importância das técnicas de controlo, incentivar a colaboração entre setores e uma melhoria contínua. Para tal, realça-se a importância que os stakeholders têm na organização e como podem contribuir na melhoria contínua da empresa, mantendo a sua sustentabilidade e adquirindo competitividade no mercado. Efetivamente, para que haja esta consciência de melhoria no seio empresarial, deve-se incutir uma cultura intraempreendedora. Esta cultura estimula um ambiente de trabalho propício à cooperação dos recursos humanos na resolução de problemas com ponderação de riscos, utilizando o seu espírito crítico e criatividade de um modo proativo para aperfeiçoar os processos, produtos e serviços ou até inovar, disruptivamente, aquilo que se consegue fazer na organização. Deste modo, utilizou-se uma metodologia mista. Quer assim dizer que este estudo caso, tem dados qualitativos, através de textos e documentos, de entrevistas não estruturadas aos recursos humanos e de observações realizadas à empresa. Adicionalmente, tem dados quantitativos fornecidos pela administração facilitando o conhecimento mais detalhado da equipa. Assim procedeu-se ao conhecimento do funcionamento interno da firma e adaptou-se um sistema à mesma com documentos de registo adequados ao fluxo de trabalho e à realidade das equipas. Este sistema segue a filosofia Kaizen e conta com ferramentas de gestão como os standard visuais, os diagramas causa-efeito e os fluxogramas, que fundamentam a estruturação do sistema e orientação para o modo de atuação da equipa