A process-oriented approach for the optimal satisficing of non-functional requirements

Abstract

In an ever more competitive world, the need for software systems to meet specific quality characteristics becomes increasingly apparent. These quality characteristics, or non-functional requirements, are often contradictory and ambiguous, making them difficult to manage during software development processes. This paper presents a modification of the NFR framework that facilitates the automated discovery of optimal system designs for the satisfaction of non-functional requirements. Just as with the NFR framework, this method can be used at any stage during the software development process in order to aid design decisions. The proposed method introduces the capacity to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative non-functional requirements, as well as the potential to include various cost factors into the optimisation process. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009.