Software Requirements Analysis (ACS2913)

Gathering and Documenting Requirements

• Information gathering (identifying requirements) is crucial for software development.
• Requirements must be clear and specific --> the entire system will be based on them
• Good analysts gather detailed and relevant system requirements and document them properly for systems designers and developers.
• Techniques are used to gather relevant information.

Information Gathering Techniques

• Interviewing users and stakeholders.
• Distributing and collecting questionnaires
• Reviewing inputs, outputs, and documentation.
• Observing and documenting business procedures.
• Researching vendor solutions.
• Collecting user comments.

Interviewing Users and Stakeholders

• Detailed questions are prepared ahead of time.
• Meetings are held with users and groups of users.
• Answers are obtained, discussed, and documented.
• Follow-up meetings/interviews may be required.

Themes and Questions for Users

• Theme: What is the info that you would like to gather? --> identify qs for each

Checklist for Conducting an Interview

• Before: establish the objective, determine the users, and participants, and build a list of questions. Review documents. Set time and place. Inform participants of the objective, time, and location
• During: Arrive on time, look for exceptions and error conditions, probe for details, take detailed notes. Identify and document unanswered items or questions.
• After: Review notes, transfer information, identify areas for clarification, thank participants, follow up.

Interview Session Agenda

• Setting( Objective of interview + Date, Time, and Location + User Participants (names followed by their positions) +Project Team Participants)
• Interview/ Discussion (questions to be asked)
• Follow-Up

Keeping an Open Items List

• IDs, issue titles, dates when identified, target dates, responsible personnel, user contacts, comments

Distribute and Collect Questionnaires

Review Inputs, Outputs, and Procedures

Additional Techniques

• Observe and document business processes. (documentation through flow/activity diagrams)
• Research vendor solutions (what others have done for similar situations)
• Collect active user comments and suggestions

Defining Requirements

• Requirements are defined after information gathering, and it is done by documenting them where the most common way to document is to create models.

Models and Modeling

• A model is a representation of a system aspect
• Textual models, graphical models, and mathematical models are types of models.
• UML (Unified Modeling Language) provides a standard for the graphical symbols and terminology used when modeling IS.

Reasons for Modeling

• Learn from the modeling process.
• Reduce complexity by abstraction
• Communicate with other development team members.
• Communicate with users and stakeholders.
• Document what was done for future maintenance/enhancement.

Analysis and Design Model Samples

• Uses cases, sequence diagrams, class diagrams, location diagrams and state machine diagrams are used.

Documenting Workflows with Activity Diagrams

• Workflow is the sequence of processing steps that handles one customer request/ business transaction.
• Activity diagram describes user or system activities, who does what activities, and the sequential flow of those activities.
• Useful for showing graphical models of workflows.

Activity Diagram Symbols

• Swimlane heading, starting activity, transition arrow, activity, ending activity, decision activity, synchronization bar.
• Represents the flow of tasks.