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Interview and Book Excerpt: Mastering the Requirements Process

Suzanne and James Robertson have released the 3rd edition of their book Mastering the Requirements Process. This edition includes material focused on the challenges of requirements in modern project environments, including agile and outsourcing relationships.

Shane Hastie
on Mar 13, 2013
Automated Error Reporting: The Gateway to Better Quality

Ignorance might be bliss, but it goes straight to the bottom line when it comes to software bugs. Those who can ferret out bugs and improve the quality of their software will be rewarded with greater customer trust, higher renewal rates, lower maintenance costs, and fewer opportunities for the competition. Laila Lotfi explains how automated error reporting aids in this endeavor.

Laila Lotfi
on Aug 28, 2012
Faster, Better, Higher – But How?

One of the main challenges when designing software architecture is the consideration of quality attributes. Not only their design turns out to be difficult, but also the specification of these attributes. Consequently, many problems in software systems are directly related to the specification and design of quality attributes such as modifiability or performance, to name just a few.

Michael Stal
on Feb 20, 2012
Interview and Book Review: Specification by Example

Gojko Adzic has written the book Specification by Example, explaining the set of techniques for describing the functional and behavioural aspects of a computer system in a way that they are useful to the development team (expressed ideally as executable tests), understandable by non-technical stakeholders and maintainable to remain relevant despite changing customer demands.

Shane Hastie
on Oct 24, 2011
The Curse of the Change Control Mechanism

Unprecedented levels of change caused by the pace of innovation are stretching traditional contract models to the breaking point. As more organizations adopt Agile and Lean for the development of innovative/complex products and services, new contract models are needed that accommodate change. The Evolutionary Contract Model, based on Agile / Lean principles, offers promise as a possible solution.

Gabrielle Benefield Susan Atkinson
on May 11, 2011
Agile Contracts

The traditional Waterfall model fits nicely with the way companies buy things: requirements are drawn up, a supplier quotes a price, and everyone signs a legally binding agreement. Contracts written this way seldom offer the freedom to work using an Agile approach. This article examines four separate models available to suppliers and customers for establishing contracts for Agile work.

Allan Kelly
on Feb 08, 2011
Working with the Product Backlog

Roman Pichler discusses the product backlog along with techniques for effectively grooming it. Complicated applications of the product backlog are covered as well as how to handle nonfunctional requirements and how to scale a product backlog for large projects. This is a chapter excerpt from Roman's book: Agile Product Management with Scrum.

Roman Pichler
on Aug 04, 2010
Architecture & Design

Are You a Software Architect?

The line between development and architecture is tricky. Some say it's fake, that architecture is an extension of the design process undertaken by developers; others say it's a chasm that can only be crossed by lofty developers who believe you must abstract your abstractions and not worry about implementation details. There's a balance in the middle, but how do you move from one to the other?

Simon Brown
on Feb 09, 2010
Using SketchFlow to Create Better Prototypes

All good developers use some kind of prototyping as a communication channel to customers. Simon Guest of Microsoft introduces a new technology from Microsoft, SketchFlow, and shows how it could be useful to developers as well as the primary audience of designers. The discussion covers coverage (WPF and Silverlight), functionality, workflow, prototyping, and documentation.

Simon Guest
on Apr 29, 2009
The Role of the Analyst in Agile Projects

Addressing another Agile Myth (we don't need no analysts!), Shane Hastie, Chief Knowledge Engineer at Software Education, outlines how the Business Analyst can help Agile teamwork - when properly aligned with the business, rather than the development team.

Shane Hastie
on Dec 05, 2008
User Story Estimation Techniques

One of the great things about working as a consultant is the ability to try out many different ideas and adapting your personal favorite process to include things that work. This article gives the details about user story estimation techniques that Jay Fields has found effective.

Jay Fields
on Jun 30, 2008
Creating Product Owner Success

The role of the Scrum Product Owner is powerful, but challenging to implement. Success can bring a new and healthy relationship between customers/product management and development, even competitive advantage, but it comes at a price: organizational change is often required. In this article Roman Pichler looks at what it takes to succeed as a Product Owner.

Roman Pichler
on May 14, 2008

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