Cost of Redundant Requirements
Organizations define requirements on an ongoing basis. Various groups within larger organizations are redefining the same information over and over again. It is important to understand the cost associated with redundant requirement definition, and to find ways to reuse predefined requirements.
Examples of Requirements Redundancy:
1. Business rules are redefined across multiple applications.
2. Data elements are redefined in various parts of a project.
3. Use cases are written as test cases.
4. Flow charts are redundantly described with narratives.
Cost of Redundancy:
· Inconsistency – Repeating requirements will lead to inconsistencies within requirements documentation. This will result in implementation errors within the development stage due to conflicting directions.
· Human Factor – Team members feel demoralized by spending significant man hours producing redundant documentation.
· Maintainability – Keeping redundant documentation current requires countless hours of sifting and updating old documents. As a result, most organizaions don’t keep their documentation up to date. In that scenario, it’s difficult to enhance the system, train new users, and provide effective support.
· Productivity – Team members spend significant time producing redundant requirement documentation. As a result, productivity is hindered.
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