3.B] How Requirement engineering it works explain in detail.
Answer:
Requirement engineering is a critical phase in the software development lifecycle that focuses on understanding and defining what a software system should do. It involves a series of systematic tasks that help in identifying, analyzing, documenting, and managing the requirements of the software system. These tasks ensure that the final product aligns with the needs and expectations of the stakeholders, including customers, users, and the development team.
Tasks in Requirement Engineering
Requirement engineering consists of seven key tasks, each of which plays a vital role in gathering and refining the requirements. These tasks are often iterative and may overlap, depending on the complexity of the project.
1. Inception
- Identify Stakeholders: Determine all individuals and groups who have an interest in the software project, including customers, end-users, and managers.
- Define Business Needs: Establish the primary business objectives and goals that the software is intended to achieve.
- Outline Project Scope: Create an initial, high-level description of what the software will do, including boundaries and limitations.
- Conduct Feasibility Analysis: Assess whether the project is technically, financially, and operationally viable.
2. Elicitation
- Interviews and Surveys: Gather detailed requirements by directly asking stakeholders about their needs, preferences, and expectations.
- Workshops and Brainstorming: Facilitate collaborative sessions with stakeholders to generate ideas and resolve any conflicts in requirements.
- Prototyping: Develop early prototypes or mock-ups to clarify vague or uncertain requirements.
- Use Cases and Scenarios: Create specific examples of how the software will be used to help stakeholders express their requirements more clearly.
3. Elaboration
- Refine User Scenarios: Expand on initial scenarios to create detailed descriptions of user interactions with the system.
- Identify Analysis Classes: Define key entities (classes) in the system, along with their attributes and behaviors.
- Develop Models: Use diagrams (like UML) to visually represent relationships, workflows, and data structures.
- Iterative Refinement: Continuously refine the requirements and models to improve clarity, completeness, and accuracy.
4. Negotiation
- Prioritize Requirements: Rank the importance of each requirement based on stakeholder needs, project constraints, and overall business value.
- Cost-Risk Analysis: Evaluate the feasibility, cost, and risks associated with each requirement to determine which should be included.
- Conflict Resolution: Mediate discussions among stakeholders to reconcile conflicting requirements and reach a consensus.
- Finalize Requirements: Agree on a set of requirements that are realistic, achievable, and acceptable to all stakeholders.
5. Specification
- Document Requirements: Write clear, detailed descriptions of the software requirements, using appropriate language and structure.
- Create Graphical Models: Use diagrams to complement textual descriptions, helping to clarify complex relationships and processes.
- Formalize Requirements: In cases of high complexity, use formal methods or mathematical models to specify requirements unambiguously.
- Develop Prototypes: Create prototypes to illustrate key features, helping to validate and refine the specified requirements.
6. Validation
- Review Requirements: Conduct formal reviews with stakeholders and the development team to ensure all requirements are understood and agreed upon.
- Prototype Testing: Use prototypes to validate requirements with end-users, ensuring that they align with user expectations.
- Model Checking: Verify that all models are consistent, complete, and correctly represent the intended system.
- Develop Test Cases: Create preliminary test cases based on the requirements to ensure that they are testable and measurable.
7. Management
- Version Control: Implement a versioning system to keep track of changes to the requirements document over time.
- Change Control: Establish a formal process for handling requirement changes, including evaluation, approval, and implementation.
- Impact Analysis: Assess the potential effects of changes on the project’s scope, schedule, budget, and quality.
- Communication: Maintain open communication with stakeholders to keep them informed of changes and their implications on the project.