This document discusses requirements change management. It begins with an introduction stating that requirements often change before a system is deployed, and that changes should be formally documented and controlled. It then describes the requirements change management process, including recording change proposals, analyzing impacts, deciding on changes, and implementing approved changes. It also discusses the importance of requirements traceability. Finally, it concludes that systematic change management helps ensure useful and successful system development.

1. SoberIT
Software Business and Engineering Institute
Requirements
Change Management

2. SoberIT
Software Business and Engineering Institute
Agenda
• Introduction
• Requirements Change Management Process
• Traceability
• Summary

3. SoberIT
Software Business and Engineering Institute
Introduction (1/3)
requirements
definition
specification &
design &
coding &
testing
acceptance
testing
requirements management
Requirements management is the process of managing changes to a
system’s requirements [Kot98], and it is an important part of
requirements engineering.

4. SoberIT
Software Business and Engineering Institute
Introduction (2/3)
• It is often the case that more than 50% of a system’s
requirements will be modified before it is put into service [Kot98].
• New requirements emerge and existing change due to
• errors
• increased understanding
• change in external circumstances.

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Software Business and Engineering Institute
Introduction (3/3)
Changes to the requirements should be
documented and controlled formally.
Change management process ensures that
• changes are made systematically
•similar information is collected for each proposed change
•overall analysis is made about the costs, benefits and
timing
• the requirements document is updated.

6. SoberIT
Software Business and Engineering Institute
Requirements Change Management
Process (1/5)
requirements
change management
process
• updated user requirements document
• change history
recording analysing deciding implementing
• approved user requirements document
• change proposal

7. SoberIT
Software Business and Engineering Institute
Requirements Change Management
Process (2/5)
Recording a change proposal:
• Stakeholders submit proposals for requirements changes using a
pre-defined form.

8. SoberIT
Software Business and Engineering Institute
Requirements Change Management
Process (3/5)
Analysing a change request:
• The proposed change is analysed to see
• if it is valid. Sometimes stakeholders misunderstand the
requirements and suggest unnecessary changes.
• how many requirements and system components are affected
• how much it would cost, in both time and money, to make
the change
• what the benefits of the change are.

9. SoberIT
Software Business and Engineering Institute
Requirements Change Management
Process (4/5)
Deciding on a change request:
• Change requests are considered formally by a group or a person
who decide whether or not the change should be accepted.

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Software Business and Engineering Institute
Requirements Change Management
Process (5/5)
Implementing a change:
• Updating the requirements document.
• Informing all the necessary people.

11. SoberIT
Software Business and Engineering Institute
Traceability
• Requirements cannot be managed effectively without
requirements traceability [Kot98].
• Traceability types [Som97]
• requirements - sources
• requirements - rationale
• requirements - requirements
• requirements - architecture
• requirements - test cases

12. SoberIT
Software Business and Engineering Institute
Summary (1/2)
User
requirements
definition
User requirements management
Design, coding and
system testing
Acceptance
testing
Requirements Engineering
Useful and Successful Products

13. SoberIT
Software Business and Engineering Institute
Summary (2/2)
Systematic requirements change management ensures that
product development produces useful and succesful
systems.

14. SoberIT
Software Business and Engineering Institute
References
• [Kot98] G. Kotonya and I. Sommerville, Requirements Engineering -
Processes and Techniques, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1998.
• [Som97] I. Sommerville and P. Sawyer, Requirements Engineering -
A Good Practice Guide, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1997.