A survey investigating the influence of business analysis techniques on software quality characteristics

Abstract

Business analysis is recognized as one of the most important areas determining the outcome (success or failure) of a software project. In this paper we explore this subject further by investigating the potential impact of techniques applied in business analysis on essential software quality characteristics. We conducted a literature search for software quality models, analyzed the existing models and selected a subset of commonly recognized quality characteristics. Also, we identified a representative set of recommended state-of-the-art business analysis techniques. These two sets provided the basis for questionnaire survey and interviews. We conducted a survey involving 20 industry professionals, followed up by 2 interviews with experienced business analysts to discuss and interpret survey results. The main outcome are recommendations regarding techniques to be used in software project for a given quality characteristic considered essential.