The typical approach to software development, known as waterfall was created in the 1970s. This sequential development approach proceeds like a waterfall through all project phases (such as analysis, design, programming, and testing), with one phase finishing up entirely before the start of the next. Due of the client’s limited involvement throughout the project, the deliverables may not live up to their expectations. Since phases of a project are connected, changes might be expensive and difficult to implement, hence the team must start the project from scratch. This blog will demonstrate that improving the agile management process can be done with requirements gathering software.
In order to solve the flaws of waterfall, agile was created in the early 2000s. The term ‘agile workflow’ refers to a series of iterative phases in application development where projects are broken down into brief, standalone cycles known as sprints.
Disadvantages of waterfall process for requirements gathering
Lack of flexibility
The waterfall process is not adaptable to changes in requirements, making it difficult to accommodate new requirements or changes once development has begun.
No feedback
Since the testing phase of the waterfall process occurs after development, it is difficult to obtain feedback on the requirements early in the process.
Limited customer involvement
The customer may be less involved in the development process, which can lead to a lack of understanding and buy-in for the final product.
Assumes complete understanding
The Waterfall process assumes that all requirements will be understood and determined from the beginning, but the reality is that requirements are often not fully understood until later in the development process.
Lack of testing
The waterfall model does not include many testing activities during the development phase which leads to bugs being discovered in the later stage.
In recent years there has been a strong shift to a more agile software development methodology from a traditional waterfall model.
Agile project management is a more flexible and adaptive approach with an emphasis on collaboration, continuous improvement, and flexibility in response to changing requirements.
Advantages of using software for agile requirements management
Using software for agile requirements gathering can provide several advantages, such as:
Collaboration
Multiple team members are able to work together on a project, making it easier for stakeholders to collaborate and share information.
Flexibility
Designed to be flexible and adaptable, ensuring it is easy to change requirements as the project progresses.
Traceability
Providing a clear record of all requirements and changes, makes it easy to trace the progress of a project and identify any issues that need to be addressed.
Visibility
Real-time visibility into the status of a project, allows teams to quickly identify and resolve any issues that arise.
Productivity
The potential to explore requirements more quickly through structured questions and the ability to create wireframes automatically from requirements are examples of how an automated solution can improve requirements gathering.
Competitive advantage
Requirements gathering is a heavily overlooked area of software development. Read more on this in our blog ‘Requirements Gathering is the Most Undertaught Area in Software Development.’ Competitive advantage can be gained by adopting requirements gathering software because it ensures that requirements are more comprehensive and ultimately leads to more successful projects. The typical software project overrun is 33%, with requirements problems accounting for a large portion of that. Organisations are more effective and reduce project costs and timelines by better capturing requirements.
Disadvantages of agile process for requirements gathering
Despite the many advantages of Agile project management it can also has some disadvantages, such as:
Lack of upfront planning and requirements capture
Agile emphasises flexibility and adaptability, which can make it difficult to plan ahead and set clear requirements at the beginning of a project.
Difficulty in managing scope
Keeping track of changes to requirements can be challenging to ensure the project stays within scope.
Miscommunication
Misunderstandings and miscommunication can arise where team members are not properly trained or aligned.
Limited oversight
Agile methodologies often rely on self-organising teams, which can make it difficult for managers to monitor progress and ensure that goals are being met.
More difficult to estimate
The lack of detailed requirements can make it difficult to estimate the time and cost of a project especially when setting budgets at the beginning of a project.
Utilising requirements gathering software supports agile project management by providing a centralised platform for capturing, organising, and tracking requirements throughout the development process. This ensures teams stay aligned and that all requirements are being considered and incorporated into the final product.
Conclusion
Overall, using requirements gathering software can help teams more effectively implement agile management principles and improve the overall success of their projects.
For more read ‘Why You Need to Use Software for Requirements Gathering and Management in 2023.’