Group decision support for requirements negotiation

Abstract

Requirements engineering is one of the most critical phases in software development. Requirements verbalize decision alternatives that are negotiated by stakeholders. In this paper we present the results of an empirical analysis of the effects of applying group recommendation technologies to requirements negotiation. This analysis has been conducted within the scope of software development projects at our university where development teams were supported with group recommendation technologies when deciding which requirements should be implemented. A major result of the study is that group recommendation technologies can improve the perceived usability (in certain cases) and the perceived quality of decision support. Furthermore, it is not recommended to disclose preferences of individual group members at the beginning of a decision process - this could lead to an insufficient exchange of decision-relevant information. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.