{"id":40649,"date":"2021-01-08T03:00:44","date_gmt":"2021-01-08T10:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jamasoftware.com\/?p=40649"},"modified":"2024-09-26T11:49:50","modified_gmt":"2024-09-26T18:49:50","slug":"requirements-traceability-what-are-you-missing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jamasoftware.com\/legacy\/blog\/2021\/01\/08\/requirements-traceability-what-are-you-missing\/","title":{"rendered":"Requirements Traceability \u2013 What are you missing?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"requirements<\/p>\n

Requirements Traceability\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u2013 What\u00a0<\/span><\/b>are you missing?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

For systems engineers, business analysts, and product owners<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>requirements\u00a0<\/span>traceability (the ability to trace requirements<\/span>\u00a0to downstream development, test<\/span>, verification, validation<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and risk act<\/span>ivities)<\/span>\u00a0is an unquestioned\u00a0<\/span>good and an unquestioned\u00a0<\/span>need.\u00a0<\/span>Traceability<\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span>required<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>demonstrate<\/span>\u00a0compliance\u00a0<\/span>to relevant standards in industries\u00a0<\/span>such as medical device<\/a>, automotive<\/a>, semiconductor<\/a>, aerospace<\/a><\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and financial services<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In addition to compliance requirements, t<\/span>raceability is\u00a0<\/span>quite<\/span>\u00a0helpful to assess the\u00a0<\/span>impact of change\u00a0<\/span>required<\/span>\u00a0on all relevant requirements and re<\/span>lated downstream activities.<\/span>\u00a0But the largest potential value\u00a0<\/span>is missed by many organizations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After-the fact use cases<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

The two main use case<\/span>s\u00a0<\/span>for traceability\u00a0<\/span>noted above are both\u00a0<\/span>reactive<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>requests: the need to demonstrate\u00a0<\/span>standards\u00a0<\/span>compliance\u00a0<\/span>t<\/span>o third parties and the need to analyze the impact of a change<\/span>\u00a0request<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Both<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>use cases view requirements as static<\/span>\u00a0and passive<\/span>. Requirements are documented and\u00a0<\/span>links\u00a0<\/span>created<\/span>\u00a0to downstream artifacts<\/span>\u00a0in software, hardware<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and electrical development<\/span>\u00a0test and risk assessmen<\/span>t<\/span>\u00a0\u2014<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>which are stored in a system<\/span>. The system then<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>waits until a request comes<\/span>\u00a0in<\/span>\u00a0from outside\u00a0<\/span>to document\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>a process has been followed or to identify\u00a0<\/span>which elements are impacted by a change. Both\u00a0<\/span>use cases reflect<\/span>\u00a0an after-the-fact mindset that\u00a0<\/span>limits the value that can be achieved from the effort put into establishing traceability.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Analogies to other business<\/span><\/b>-critical<\/span><\/b>\u00a0functions<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

To view\u00a0<\/span>something<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>we think we know well in a new light, it\u00a0<\/span>is often helpful to place it\u00a0<\/span>in a\u00a0<\/span>different<\/span>\u00a0context and look at it\u00a0<\/span>from\u00a0<\/span>a fresh perspective.\u00a0<\/span>So<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0let\u2019s give it a try and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>compare traceability in the product development process to traceability in the new customer acquisition process.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For engineers<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0these\u00a0<\/span>processes may\u00a0<\/span>at first appear to be too disparate for an apt analogy, but at a fundamental level, they are <\/span>quite<\/span>\u00a0similar. Both start\u00a0<\/span>with a documented\u00a0<\/span>value (requirement vs. opportunity) that must transition through multiple phases<\/span>\u00a0and involve many other functions to reach the desired outcome (release vs. win)<\/span> \u2014 and all sorts of things can go wrong along the way leading to delays, costs incurred<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and failure.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The aspect I want to focus on is\u00a0<\/span>how<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>these two processes are managed<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>In the sales process,\u00a0<\/span>the element of value<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>opportunity)<\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span>living<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u2014\u00a0<\/span>actively measured,\u00a0<\/span>analyzed<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and tracked for exceptions\u00a0<\/span>on a daily basis<\/span>. <\/span>The\u00a0<\/span>key process metrics are defined<\/span>\u00a0with<\/span>\u00a0ranges for acceptable performance<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Current process\u00a0<\/span>performance\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0automatically calculated based on\u00a0<\/span>the movement through stages of all opportunities.\u00a0<\/span>Alerts are raised for opportunities stuck in<\/span>\u00a0a process stage too long\u00a0<\/span>(<\/span>relative to<\/span>\u00a0average dwell times<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>predictions are made about future period performance based on\u00a0<\/span>the opportunities in the system<\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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RELATED POST: Requirements Management – Living NOT Static<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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In contrast, f<\/span>or most product development organizations,\u00a0<\/span>requirement\u00a0<\/span>traceability\u00a0<\/span>is static and\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>after-the-fact analysis and not\u00a0<\/span>living<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u2014\u00a0<\/span>in the way opportunities are traced in sales as described above<\/span>. <\/span>To make requirement traceability living\u00a0<\/span>(<\/span>like\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>sales\u00a0<\/span>opportunity<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0traceability would require software<\/span>-enabled best practices in the following areas:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n