Impact of poor requirement engineering in software outsourcing: A study on software developers' experience

Abstract

The software Requirement Engineering (RE) is one of the most important and fundamental activities in the software life cycle. With the introduction of different software process paradigms, the Requirement Engineering appeared in different facets, yet remaining its significance without a doubt. The software development outsourcing is considered as a win-win situation for both developed and developing countries. High numbers of low paid, yet talented workforce in developing countries could be employed for software outsourcing projects with the demanding power of the outsourcer to decide the projects, their scope and priorities with the intention of profit maximization. This study was conducted to analyze the impact of poor Requirement Engineering in outsourced software projects from the developers' context (sample size n = 57). It was identified that the present outsourcing scenario has created to have frequent requirement changes, shrunk design and stretched development phases, and frequent deliverables, which have to be accommodated by the software developer with extra effort and commitment beyond the project norms. The results reveal important issues and open policy level discussions while questioning our insights on the outsourcing benefits as a whole. © 2006-2011 by CCC Publications.