Why is requirements engineering important?

Why is requirements engineering important?

"But this is not how I imagined it!" - Unfortunately, we hear this sentence far too often from the customer at the end of a project or during the product presentation. Often the reason for this is a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the wishes and needs of the customer or the stakeholders. We also cannot ignore the fact that we live in a time of constant change and are confronted with changes in customer requirements, the market or technologies. All this shows us very clearly that we should urgently deal with the topic of requirements engineering (requirements management).

At the beginning of a project, we often go down a path without knowing where it will lead us, because the customer himself does not yet know or cannot formulate the goal. In the process, we run off and try to find a solution without actually having understood what problem we actually have to eliminate. Stakeholders reinforce this phenomenon by formulating requirements that are in fact already the solution. If it was never clear what we want to achieve, it is not surprising that requirements keep changing during the project and therefore possibly the objective of the project. This can lead to costly additional work or, in the worst case, even to project termination (see also the study by the Standish Group).

In order to counteract this and lead the project or product development to success, requirements for the product must be specified in such a way that it fulfills the wishes and needs of the stakeholders. This is the task of the requirements engineer. Here it is recommended to follow a systematic and disciplined approach to the specification and management of requirements. The IREB (International Requirements Engineering Board) offers the best possibility for this.

What is behind this IREB?

In 2006, the IREB was founded as an independent non-profit organization by leading experts from academia, research, industry and consulting - with the goal of creating a professional and internationally recognized basis for requirements engineering.

Efficient and effective requirements engineering is the first step towards a successful project - regardless of whether the project is carried out using classic or agile methods. Appropriate requirements engineering minimizes the risk of failure or costly changes and thus has a direct impact on project costs.

However, in practice it is often underestimated that adequate training and skills are required to perform requirements engineering activities. As a requirements engineer, you need knowledge to set up a requirements engineering process that is adapted to the project situation. This requires knowledge of appropriate procedures and practices. If these skills and knowledge are not available, this leads to a lack of requirements engineering. Missing requirements, requirements that are not clearly formulated or requirements that are taken for granted can be further reasons for this. This creates a massive communication problem between all parties involved. Today's VUCA world, where we have to react faster and faster to changes, intensifies these symptoms.

The role of the requirements engineer

To understand the role of the requirements engineer, it is important to recognize that this role is different from that of the project manager.

As a requirements engineer, one must know and understand the wishes and needs of the stakeholders in order to be able to translate them into requirements. To do this, you identify the stakeholders and additional sources of information to determine the relevant requirements. In the next step, these must be documented and, of course, validated again and again before the requirements are transferred to the implementation project and thus to the responsibility of the project manager. During development and throughout the entire product lifecycle, the requirements are managed by the requirements engineer.

Curious now? Our certified IREB training courses

Do you now want to take on the role of requirements engineer yourself and make your projects even more successful with appropriate requirements engineering?
Then get certified as a Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering (CPRE - Foundation Level)! Our IREB trainings in presence or live online prepare you for this and provide you with the basic knowledge of requirements engineering as well as the methods and techniques used. Book your IREB Foundation Level 3.0 (CPRE) training here. If you have any questions about the IREB or the appropriate training format, please contact us directly or visit our SERVIEW YouTube channel.