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PACKAGED REQUIREMENTS PRODUCTS
News Update! Again in 2003 Standish's latest CHAOS report , the recent POST's Government IT Failures Report , and others conclude that problems with requirements managements are still a key contributor to project failure.
Read this page to learn about our ready made requirements management process models, DOORS information models, and DXL addin tools. Click here
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As an alternative to Beaver under taking your projects requirements management work as presented here we can provide you with a number of products to assist you in developing an in-house capability and provide support for skills and knowledge. These products are currently focused towards the systems engineering environment based on MIL STD 498 and MIL STD 2167a specification suites with adaptations for use case and OO methods. Additional versions with alternative specification and report formats more suitable for business software and systems, engineering systems, RUP and MSF are being produced. To complete the package we are also able to supply training materials including user guides and CBT's to step you through the process and using DOORS.
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Our products include;
Buy information models or databases in Requisite Pro or DOORS format. Available in both Lite and Full versions these define the modules or documents, the views, attributes, and where relevant add-in tools to support the process or import and export of information. A "sample" projects shows the use of appropriate linking strategies and an empty version is ready for you to use. Our information models contain the best practice attributes, grouped round sets of views to implement a work flow based process, and the module or document structures and linking strategy helps to ensure a high level of integrity so changes are accurately rippled through and traceability is enhanced with minimal resource overhead. A cut down version of our process model is included because all our information models or databases are based on a process and an understanding of the necessary outputs and reports that are needed. Without this information the information model or database is conceptually weak and abstract. An administrators guide is included dealing with steps to implement security and access control, periodic steps to check the integrity of the model and the data that has been entered, and as well as examples of how to reuse parts of the model in reuse and product family or variant managements strategies and steps and tools to support version control of the data base and integrate into best practice configuration management and change control practices. We also supply a set of information model topics files, each focusing on options and considerations for implementing specific process topics. We refer to them as information models because they extend beyond requirements to include not just verification and validation data, but other management information on assumptions, issues, risks and work tasks to support work planning and scope management processes.
Buy a process model. Our package includes image mapped process diagrams, process step descriptions, template documents, a basic information model specification (modules or documents with attributes, views, rational and traces to source documents and standards, guidance on using DOORS or Requisite Pro for relevant steps, details of tools and filters to apply. We also supply a set of topics files, each focusing on specific process topics such as integration with configuration management and change control. As well as the standard process model diagram types we are converting many of our existing process models into the RUP style format e.g. artefacts, actors, tasks, activity diagrams. You'll receive both versions. Our models can be used as a complete process or you may choose to utilise parts of the models, such as those dealing with tasks or artefacts in actually using tool sets, as add-ins to existing process models, such as RUP, as new parallel flows or as sub-models added underneath the main models. We provide guidance notes as part of our tailoring guide to allow you to customise and fit the models to your organisation and importantly scale it and customise it to each project while retaining certain common characteristics to add reuse and training strategies for example. Certain process steps are supplied with options ranging from a heuristic based step to a rigorous sub model. Various options are included to account for differences in the organisation such as if the initial driver is an ITT or RFP, if a final contract version is issued needing a checking that it represents the negotiation agreements, or needs sub-models for identifying and handling reuse strategies from using components, COTS, or existing products.
Our sub-process models enhance the requirements elicitation of methods such as UML and RUP by including existing system studies, existing operations and domain studies, and prototyping. Our methods do not depend on what the users say but seek to uncover what is implicit and what they do not say, and what will change from the current situation. This helps to address one problem that can occur using use cases, where stakeholders base the user-system interaction on their existing domain knowledge, system, or available solutins, and perhaps do not focus on the problem to be solved or basic functionality. Fundamental use cases do not suffer from this problem. The focus is on understanding the interaction of the users, the system, and the way the system is used in the application environment - a broader perspective than pure OOA use cases or context diagrams used in structured methods . This approach productises important concepts such as those proposed by Michael Jackson on the need to fully understand the problem and the application environment before proceeding with specification and design. We use these concepts to develop practical approaches to defining the problem, the application domain, and ensuring its completeness and correctness. They are tightly integrated with specification and report contents definitions and the requirements tools information models.
Both model packages come with 1 years support including 48 queries by email or phone call to help you clarify issues or answer tool questions when applying the process, regular updates to the subscribed models, and email newsletter on the lastest developments and best practices. You can feed us back observations for consideration in our upgrade process - we assemble all requests and add our own based on our own research and then seek the users views and pick those items for incorporation in the next release. Licensing is simple. You are not tied to a user or machine or an organisation size for pricing. After the first year you can continue to receive these services via our product maintenance subscription.
Purchase an information model and process model together and get a FREE customisation to include your organisation names and 3 days offsite consultancy to customise the models further following discussions with yourselves.
We also provide requirements tools training and mentoring packs for Requisite Pro and DOORS. These training is task assignments and is not just an animation of the manuals explaining each function. Being task based they link in well to our own process and information models. Using animations of the applications and supporting slides and reading material they show users of various levels how to use the tool of their choice to undertake typical activities. We also include a number of demonstrator projects so users can gain experience of under taking a range of tasks and reusing requirements products between projects. The animations are small Java applets which run in a Java enabled browser, either locally or over a network, and slides are HTML with links to the animations as appropriate. Together they provide excellent alternatives to mass class training. They are always available online for reference and link strong to the process model products.
Are the above worth it? Consider the cost of undertaking the above your self. A new user to a tool, undertaking background research on best practices, user groups to discuss the findings at a time when to many this is all a new subject. Additional time is needed to pilot the processes and tool configurations and through trial and error discover typical problems particularly in setting the information model, attributes, and report and filter routines. Realistically its a full time role for 13-26 weeks. Then keeping abreast of current developments in reading new releases, attending conferences and product announcements, and networking. Though this is useful experience to go gain when developing a in-house capability however its much easier to use our services to kick start the process and gain years worth of experience. Think of us as a mentoring service, online all year.
While the above are standard products we can provide you with a tailored solution to fit your needs, even a complete package using the process and information models together with on-line training support.
If you are interested please register your interest here and we'll get back to you with further details. We are also considering adding modules and work streams for system safety, RAM, and ILS and would be interested in comments from prospective users. Our initial approach for handling hazard logs and providing safety case support is described in our Safety and Reliability services section.
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