Talk given at the Conference on Product-Focused Software Process Improvement held in Bozen-Bolzano, Italy

1. Technische Universität München
A Case Study on
Artefact-based RE Improvement in Practice
Joint work with
Stefan Wagner, University of Stuttgart
Daniel Méndez
Technical University of Munich
Germany
PROFES 2015
Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
@mendezfe

2. Notion of RE quality is eventually relative to its context!
[RUP-derivate]
Does this represent a good or a bad
Requirements Engineering (RE)?

3. Notion of RE quality and its improvement
Socio-economic context
RE “Best Practice” Norm
Goals,
expectations,
…
1. Solution orientation
Assess/Benchmark
RE reference modelAdopt
RE improvement principles

4. Notion of RE quality and its improvement
Socio-economic context
RE “Best Practice” Norm
Goals,
expectations,
…
1. Solution orientation
2. Problem orientation
Serves as
Orientation
Steer
RE reference model
RE improvement principles

5. Notion of RE quality and its improvement
Socio-economic context
RE “Best Practice” Norm
Goals,
expectations,
…
1. Solution orientation
2. Problem orientation
Paradigms (simplified)
Serves as
Orientation
Steer
RE reference model
RE improvement principles

6. Notion of RE quality and its improvement
Socio-economic context
RE “Best Practice” Norm
Goals,
expectations,
…
1. Solution orientation
2. Problem orientation
Paradigms (simplified)
A
A. Activity orientation
B
B. Artefact orientation
Serves as
Orientation
Steer
RE reference model
RE improvement principles

7. Potential and limitations of problem-driven, artefact-based RE improvement still unknown
Problem
Problem-driven, artefact-based RE improvement
Why? Goals,
expectations,
…Steer
» Notion of RE quality is something relative to context
» Reluctance against solution orientation in practice*
„I am not convinced of the benefits of external standards.“
Why problem orientation
Why artefact orientation
» Allows to abstract from complex processes
» Supports, e.g., flexibility and consistency in artefacts
* http://re-survey.org

8. Artefact-based RE improvement approach
• Blueprint of an artefact-b. and problem-driven RE improvement
• Process realisation in EPF composer, templates, …
Details on theapproach presentedat PROFES 2013 & PROFES 2014

9. Artefact-based RE Improvement
Process
engineers
Comparative
evaluation
(against CMMI-based approaches)
Art.-based
RE Imp.
Approach
Evaluation of artefact-based RE improvement
Study design overview
• Case 1:Wacker Chemie
• Case 2: SupplyOn AG (independent replication)
Goals
• Evaluate
problem-driven and artefact-based RE improvement
in industrial context compared to
solution-driven and activity-based approaches
Approach: Case study research
Research questions
Project environment
Artefact-based
RE Project
participants
Comparative
evaluation
Legacy RE approach
1. How well are process engineers supported in their RE improvement tasks?
2. How well are project participants supported by the resulting RE reference model?

10. Study 1
Study 2
Study 1
Study 2
Case studies on artefact-based RE improvement
Essence of rating
RQ 1 Structured approach to RE improvement
Context-specific RE impr. goals achieved
The good: It worked
RQ 2
(The actually interesting parts…)
The bad: It worked, but only “somehow”…
Research questions
1. How well are process engineers supported in their RE improvement tasks?
2. How well are project participants supported by the resulting RE reference model?

11. Case studies on artefact-based RE improvement
Qualitative feedback from participants
Process engineers (RQ 1)
• Domain knowledge is essential for efficient improvement
• Workshops fostered discussions engineers would otherwise not have
• Need for fast improvement cycles (e.g. meetings every week)
• Need for additional studies when many changes have been made
• The success of a pilot study strongly depends on the quality of the tools
• Coaching should focus on why things should be done, not how
• Focus not only on artefacts, but also suggest methods and techniques
• Not too many changes at once
Project participants (RQ 2)

12. Limitations
• Problem orientation at the cost of certification
• Social factors never fully covered by models and approaches
• Improvement effects beyond RE not objectively measurable
• Relation between process quality and artefact quality not completely clear
Success factors (selected)
• Awareness of management for problems at project level
• Willingness to participate and openness to change
• Domain knowledge
• Respect (and reflect) organisational culture
• Skills (social skills, empirical skills) and openness for pragmatism
Case studies on artefact-based RE improvement

13. Thank you!
Daniel Méndez
Daniel.Mendez@tum.de
@mendezfe
Further reading
• Slides will be made available
(and probably tweeted)
• Ask me if you need material
(tools, instruments …)
http://www4.in.tum.de/~mendezfe/openspace.shtml
[PROFES 2013]
[PROFES 2015]