Evaluation of Text–Based Requirements Engineering Tools

Abstract

Context: Additional challenges related to requirements engineering practices arise as software development moves from the waterfall model towards agile development, where continuous integration and continuous deployment are often employed. This change has resulted in the emergence of new requirements engineering tools. One of which is a tool developed in-house at Ericsson by the name of T-Reqs.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to study these newly emerged tools by conducting a case study at Ericsson to evaluate T-Reqs, i.e., illustrate its advantages and disadvantages, as well as display how the tool is used in practice in comparison to traditional requirements engineering tools. In addition, an identification of the tool’s characteristics that also describe tools similar to T-Reqs and a formal definition for these tools is proposed.

Method: The chosen research method is an in-depth case study where the data collection was both qualitative and quantitative, i.e., a mixed method design. The qualitative data was gathered through 14 semi-structured interviews with relevant employees at Ericsson and followed by quantitative data gathering through a followup survey. The results were then discussed in a cross-industry workshop.

Results: The results illustrate that the primary expectations towards T-Reqs were increased usability and improved ways of working, which encompassed a scale-out of the company and facilitated collaboration, among others. These expectations were, for the most part, fulfilled. One of the main advantages identified was the tool’s integration into the development environment, allowing for easy access, updates, version control, and baselining. As the tool relies heavily on its users being comfortable with using Git version control, one of the main drawbacks of the tool relates to its ease of use for users who lack the knowledge of standard IT technology. Finally, the main characteristics of the tool are that it is connected to version control, integrated into each product’s repository, and its ease of use. From these characteristics, a formal definition of these newly emerged tools is suggested, referred to as text-based requirements management tools.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that T-Reqs has been successfully integrated into the development processes at Ericsson, providing many advantages over traditional requirements engineering tools. Thus, T-Reqs can be offered as an example of how these text-based requirements management tools can facilitate the development process in large-scale agile environments, once their implementation is carefully tailored to the unique needs and context of the organization.