Better Software Magazine Articles

Bringing Your Requirements Discussions Down to Earth

Trying to communicate with businesspeople about requirements can make you feel like you're from another planet. Using concrete examples expressed as storytests to drive the development of a system can help bring you back into the same orbit. Discover ways to introduce this process on your next project.

Rick Mugridge
Form Fitting: Patterns to Judge the Effectiveness of Use Cases

You don't have to be Giorgio Armani to fashion effective use cases. Use case patterns can provide you with a vocabulary to help you describe and judge the quality of your use cases. Find out how you can use these patterns to improve your requirements modelin

Steve Adolph
The Peculiar Nature of Requirements

Turn to The Last Word, where software professionals who care about quality give you their opinions on hot topics. This month, Karl Wiegers shares some common misperceptions about requirements.

Karl E. Wiegers
Combined Strengths

One school of thought says each should do what he's best at and no more. But one company has graduated to a new way of life. Instead of isolating testers and business analysts, the two teams are melded into one—resulting in a more robust product created in less time at a reduced cost. Could this hybrid approach work for you?

TechWell Contributor's picture TechWell Contributor
Alter Your Requirements Process

Fashioning a new requirements method is an almost impossible task, given budget and time constraints. But that doesn't mean you have to be stuck with an ill-fitting process. Learn about seven alterations that almost any organization can make.

Dion Johnson's picture Dion Johnson
In Other Words: How Paraphrasing Helps Uncover Defects

Take one phrase, throw in three different interpretations, and add zero communication: It all adds up to one big defect. Find out how paraphrasing can help you to uncover hidden problems.

Kathy Walker
An Elephant in the Room

We make software so that people can use it. Yet these users are so hard to define that they are often simply ignored. This six-step approach to Interaction Design can help you bring your customers down to size so that you can provide the right product for them.

Jeff Patton's picture Jeff Patton
You Don't Say

You've just developed and tested a system that meets each of the customer’s stated requirements. So why aren't they satisfied? Lisa Crispin shares her 5-step process for uncovering hidden assumptions and requirements so that everyone can have the happy ending they expected.

Lisa Crispin's picture Lisa Crispin
The Product Champion: Making Sure that Customer, Team, and Business Needs Are Well Represented in the Development Process

Having a close relationship with the customer is always a good idea. But with that relationship comes risks. Most projects could use a knight in shining armor to protect their product's future. Discover how a product champion can help your organization stay focused on the customer without losing sight of the big picture.

Linda Rising's picture Linda Rising
Visual Requirements

Instead of wading through requirements documents, try drawing them instead. Learn about three simple diagrams and how to turn them quickly into valuable models. The diagrams presented here represent the most commonly used types for each of the three software dimension perspectives: data flow diagrams for function, class diagrams for information, and state transition diagrams for behavior.

Becky Winant

Pages

CMCrossroads is a TechWell community.

Through conferences, training, consulting, and online resources, TechWell helps you develop and deliver great software every day.