Software Development Consultation and Requirements

Consultation

• Consultation should occur continually throughout the software development lifecycle to identify problems early.
• Honest and frank information from stakeholders should be encouraged without fear of retribution.
• Create an environment for extracting valuable insights.

Exercise: Identifying Scope, Stakeholders, and Requirements

• Split into pairs, one customer, one developer.
• Customer proposes an app/software project.
• Developer must ask questions to define:
  • Scope Document: Explicitly list in-scope and out-of-scope items.
  • Stakeholders.
  • Requirement specification: Functional and non-functional items.
• Reverse roles.
• Save project outlines for future use.

Project Research

• Examine the current system your project will replace: strengths, weaknesses, idiosyncrasies.
• Examine competing products: strengths, weaknesses, idiosyncrasies.
• Examine your capabilities: what can you produce? What expertise can you afford to recruit?
• Examine relevant literature: how are others addressing the problem?
• Account for international factors:
  • Time zones
  • Languages
  • Date formats

Requirements Planning

• Turn your project scope into a detailed set of requirements for your engineering team.
• Requirements are split into:
  • Functional: What will the program actually do?
  • Non-functional: Performance, security, usability, etc.

Example Functional Requirements

• Book Shop System:
  • Customer buys a book.
  • Salesperson scans a barcode.
  • Barcode is sent to the central computer.
  • Price is retrieved from the database.
  • Price is sent back to the point of sale computer.
  • Calculations are performed.
  • Transaction details are stored locally.
  • Receipt is printed.
• Subsea Oil and Gas Leak Detection:
  • Sensors continuously monitor pipeline flow and pressure.
  • Data is processed on a computer.
  • If sensor values exceed acceptable parameters:
    • An alarm sounds on the computer.
    • An email is sent to managers.
    • Staff can configure the system.

Structure Charts

• Top-down approach to explain program organization.
• Programs are composed of modules.
• Modules consist of subroutines and functions.
• Subroutines and functions are built with algorithms.
• Algorithms are composed of lines of code.
• Lines of code are made up of statements and data.

Wireframing & Prototyping

• Wireframe: outlines arrangement of textual and media elements.
• Wireframing tools allow designers and clients to discuss and comment on sketches.
• Prototype: shows your website or product in action. It's clickable.
• Tools:
  • Adobe XD
  • Mockflow
  • Moqups
  • Lucidchart
  • Balsamiq

Entity Relationship Diagrams

• Used for documenting relational database systems.
• Not a required diagram for the course, but recommended for Internal Assessment if creating a database.

Client Sign-Off

• Sign off on scope document AND design before starting serious development.

Implementation

• Aim: Build the software compliant with the design.
• Considerations:
  • Technology stack
  • Migration issues
  • Deployment issues
  • Implementation issues

Technology Stack

• Perpetual License: buy once, use forever.
• Rent (SaaS - Software as a service): Eg: Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office 365
• SaaS Model is becoming popular.
• Cloud Computing:
  • AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure.
  • Concerns:
    • Control over data location.
    • Access to data.
    • Trust in cloud provider.
  • Elements to evaluate:
    • Security
    • Encryption
    • Privacy laws
    • Backups
    • Cost
    • Reliability

Migration Issues

• Maintaining compatibility of customer data during system migration.
• Considerations:
  • International issues: languages, dates, currency, time zones
  • System issues: data types and limits (Eg: Y2K, Year 2038 problem)
  • Converting file formats
  • Validating data accuracy after conversion.

Deployment Issues

• Methods of software distribution:
  • App store
  • Website download and install
  • CD/DVD/USB
  • Cloud
• Update management:
  • Online self-updating
  • Download and manually install
  • Distributing disks (less common nowadays)
• Web based products update automatically (Facebook's downfall).

Implementation Issues

• Implementation/conversion methods.
• Testing:
  • Software testing
  • User documentation testing
  • User training testing
  • Backup regime and restoration procedure testing

Software Testing

• Debugging: Testing as you code.
• Automated testing: Software based automated testing.
• Beta testing: Volunteers test software before widespread deployment.
• User acceptance testing (UAT): Client accepts product as fit for purpose.

User Documentation

• Influences system implementation and success.
• Options:
  • Textbook style user manuals
  • Help files
  • Online support (chat, forums)
  • Videos

User Training

• Options:
  • Self-instruction
  • Formal classes
  • Online courses
  • 1:1 coaching

Backups

• Data can be lost through:
  • Malicious activity
  • Natural disasters
  • Human error
  • Disk deterioration

Data Loss Prevention

• Determine the impact of a worst-case scenario on your business.
• Strategies:
  • Failover systems
  • Redundancy
  • Removable media
  • Offsite/online storage

Backup Strategies

• 3-2-1 rule:
  • At least 3 copies
  • At least 2 different forms
  • At least 1 copy offsite
• Other considerations:
  • Automated vs. manual backups
  • Full vs. differential backups

The Cloud and Backups

• Cloud is debatable as a backup.
• Always live and available is a positive and negative.

This quiz focuses on the importance of continual consultation throughout the software development lifecycle, emphasizing the role of honest stakeholder communication. Participants will learn to identify project scope, stakeholders, and requirements through interactive exercises, while also examining existing systems and competing products.