More About Software Requirements: Thorny Issues and Practical Advice [Paperback]

Karl Wiegers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 17, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0735622671 | ISBN-13: 978-0735622678 | Edition: 1

No matter how much instruction you've had on managing software requirements, there's no substitute for experience. Too often, lessons about requirements engineering processes lack the no-nonsense guidance that supports real-world solutions. Complementing the best practices presented in his book, Software Requirements, Second Edition, requirements engineering authority Karl Wiegers tackles even more of the real issues head-on in this book.

With straightforward, professional advice and practical solutions based on actual project experiences, this book answers many of the tough questions raised by industry professionals. From strategies for estimating and working with customers to the nuts and bolts of documenting requirements, this essential companion gives developers, analysts, and managers the cosmic truths that apply to virtually every software development project.

Discover how to:

• Make the business case for investing in better requirements practices
• Generate estimates using three specific techniques
• Conduct inquiries to elicit meaningful business and user requirements
• Clearly document project scope
• Implement use cases, scenarios, and user stories effectively
• Improve inspections and peer reviews
• Write requirements that avoid ambiguity

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

From the author of Software Requirements, Second Edition, this follow-up handbook answers real questions raised by professional software developers and business analysts. It tackles many tough issues about gathering and managing software requirements and offers expert guidance and real-world solutions.

Key Book Benefits:

-Delivers concise information that guides readers through difficult requirements issues -Provides thoughtful guidance based on the author’s extensive real-world application-development and consulting experiences -Features practical solutions and demonstrates best practices for software requirements engineering that can lead to fewer change orders, more satisfied customers, and lower development costs

About the Author

Karl E. Wiegers is a leading speaker, author, and consultant on requirements engineering, project management, and process improvement. As Principal Consultant with Process Impact, he conducts training seminars for corporate and government clients worldwide. Karl has twice won the Software Development Productivity Award, which honors excellence in productivity-enhancing products and books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press; 1 edition (January 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735622671
• ISBN-13: 978-0735622678
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #463,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Karl Wiegers is Principal Consultant with Process Impact (www.processimpact.com) in Portland, Oregon. He has provided training and consulting services worldwide on many aspects of software development, management and process improvement. Karl holds a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois, which he believes provides the perfect background for anyone in IT. Prior to starting Process Impact in 1997, he spent 18 years at Eastman Kodak Company as a photographic research scientist, software developer, software manager, and software quality and process improvement specialist.

Karl's most recent book is a memoir of life lessons called "Pearls from Sand: How Small Encounters Lead to Powerful Lessons." Visit www.PearlsFromSand.com to get more information, follow the blog, and submit your own pearls of wisdom to share with the world.

Karl's professional goal is to create books, articles, training materials, templates, and other materials that can help improve the effectiveness of any individual or organization that develops software. You can download many of these items at www.processimpact.com/goodies.shtml. He is the author of five books and more than 170 articles on many aspects of software, chemistry, and military history. His training seminars are available as eLearning courses at www.processimpact.com/elearning.shtml.

When not at the keyboard, Karl enjoys reading military history, cooking, tasting (okay, drinking) wine, playing guitar, and writing and recording music. Check out his recipes at www.processimpact.com/recipes.shtml and his songs (if you dare) at www.karlwiegers.com/songs.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 73 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars It depends... January 30, 2006

By Earl Beede

Format:Paperback

It was with high expectation that I picked up Karl Wiegers latest book on requirements. I had read the previous book, Software Requirements 2nd edition, and liked it. However, one of the people quoted on the back of the book had told me that Karl had rethought the role of use cases. Well, I wanted to see that. Also there was this whole subtitle of "Practical Advice". I wanted some of that too.

You see, I teach a requirements seminar and I almost always get asked the "Thorny Issues" Karl lists: How long does requirements take? How much detail is appropriate? What does a good requirement look like? What should be in the specification? My favorite is, "What should marketing put in their document and what should development put in theirs?" My answer always started with, "It depends..." and I wanted better answers.

The answers I got from the book were things like, "There are no fixed answers to the question. Multiple variables contribute to this issue." Or "There is no simple formulaic approach to software specification." Yep, it depends. Well, at least I agree with him.

Lest I sound a bit harsh, there is a lot of Practical Advice in here. There is a good primer on estimating from requirements and acknowledging the cone of uncertainty, the importance of customer input - even on agile projects, the role of specifications, and the need for text and models for a good specification. It is just that for me, I like to think that I already gave that advice to my clients. In fact, there were several sections in the book were I wondered if he had attended my class! (He hasn't.) Perhaps that is why I like his books, I think on the same wavelength.

Oh, about Karl's rethinking of Use Cases.... Well, it turns out that Use Cases are not functional requirements but containers of functional requirements. And there are other, sometimes more appropriate, ways to capture functional requirements. Also, functional requirements should be specified outside of the Use Case. However, Karl still really, really likes Use Cases. So, Karl has done not so much of a rethinking of Use Cases but a clearer statement about the multiple variables that go into capturing requirements.

So, should you buy this book? Well if you are ready to accept that requirements are hard, that there is no one best way, that there are some better ways but it depends on where you are and the problem you are trying to solve, then this book will work for you. It has enough to guide you in the right direction. You still will have questions but those need to be worked out in your environment and culture. For those who want a cookie cutter approach to requirements and no ambiguity, it depends... Read more ›

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Right on target June 12, 2006

By Jean-Simon Larochelle

Format:Paperback

This book is a very good addition to any software library. Chapter 15 (Elements of Requirements style) contains some really good and practical advise and is a perfect example of what makes this book great. It just seems to answer some questions that other books don't address and it does it in a very readable format.

It is not as complete as other books on requirements but it does not pretend to be complete. The title says "More about Software Requirements" and this is exactly what you get.

If you do not have another manual that covers the fundamental of software requirements you might want to get "Software Requirements 2nd Edition". Those two books together will give you a nice complete package.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wiegers is the best, as always :) February 18, 2007

By Yegor

Format:Paperback

Karl Wiegers is the person I recommend all my employees to read. This book is even better than 'Software Requirements, 2nd Edition' by Karl. He gives practical advises together with theory and important references. This book could be used as a tutorial for requirements engineers. One of the best books in this subject area.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Establishing the Requirements for a Project April 8, 2006

By John Matlock

Format:Paperback

There are hundreds, if not thousands of books on programming that talk about programming languages, programming techniques, programming aids, testing your programming, and more. Yet there is very little written on telling these programmers just what they should be programming.

This book is the exception. It is on how to specify and then manage the software project. It discusses all of the components of developing a set of requirements that will accurately reflect the real needs of the agency that will use the software. It covers all of the new buzz words like 'extreme programming,' 'cases,' 'scenarios,' and so on. Some of these it accepts, some are not reported to be helpful.

The goal of this book is to give the person or group developing the requirements sufficient tools to produce the documents that can later be used to develop the software that everyone agrees is what is needed.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great addition to my Business Analyst Library December 19, 2012

By S Housley

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Great Book. I love the way Karl puts it all together. Practical tips and techniques that really make sense. I have already worn out the highlighter! I will be buying more copies to share with my team.

5.0 out of 5 stars Review this book for clients who may be difficult September 22, 2011

By Randolph Halbedl

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

A book to read then keep on your shelf for reference later. It would be good to highlight some of the key factors in each chapter which are indicated as critical to manage the thorny issues Wiegers presents.

5.0 out of 5 stars OK April 14, 2010

By Stanislaw Borowiecki

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The good book about sofware requirements for people who want to learn more about issues related to requirements. I can recommend it for people with basic level of knowledge.

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive guide on requirments management for software October 17, 2009

By David Alan Tussey

Format:Paperback

This is a great book on software requirements. As good as any out there.