Issues and Challenges of Requirements Review in the Industry

Abstract

Background/Objectives: This paper highlights various issues and challenges of requirements review in the industry, based on existing literature reported by fellow researchers and practitioners. Methods/Statistical Analysis: A literature review method was adapted. The literature search was conducted based on several keywords, namely, requirements validation, requirements review and validation techniques. Subsequently, critical analysis of the available literatures was conducted using the thematic analysis approach. Findings: Overall, the issues and challenges of requirements review in the industry are categorized into six perspectives: review process, reviewer team, requirements specification, validation support tool, organizational culture, and governance. These six categorical barriers complicate successful executions of requirements review, which result in cost overrun and delayed project implementation. It is aspired for these findings to serve as a reference for researchers and industry key players possessing interest in requirements validation research area. Industry practitioners can also use these findings to make an informed decision regarding the requirements review process in their organizations. Application/Improvements: Future work of this research is to propose a framework which provides guidelines for better requirements review execution. Further research is also necessary to address the challenges highlighted. Keywords: Requirements Engineering, Requirements Review, Requirements Validation, Software Development