Requirements Management Through SDLC - Requirements Engineering and Management for Software Development Projects - page 164

In addition, we need to consider the pre-project phase as well as the post-delivery
installation and commissioning phase as both have an impact on the requirements
management of the project. However, each of the SDLCs implement these phases in
their own way and the artifacts recommended also vary significantly. Still all four
phases are used albeit with differences in all SDLCs. Let us now discuss how the
requirements are managed in each of these phases.
12.2 Pre-Project Phase
While the pre-project phase is not part of SDLC, it is relevant to requirements
management. The project is a sequel to fulfill an existing requirement. In this
phase, the requirement for software is recognized and established to the extent that
the investment to fulfill that requirement is justified and approved. In this phase,
the following activities are carried out:
1. Recognition of the need—the need for computerized information processing or
the need to upgrade the existing system is recognized by a concerned executive
in the organization. Then the need is articulated to the management so that
attention is focused on that need and investigation is initiated to ascertain the
efficacy of the need. In some organizations, including software development
organizations, BPO (Business Process Organizations), and others, the IT
infrastructure, including application software is part of the original investment
itself. But upgrading the IT infrastructure in those organizations again has to be
recognized and perhaps the marketing department or the strategic planning
department or the senior management itself recognizes the need. This activity
recognizes the presence of a need for IT infrastructure, including application
software, and approves further investigation to establish or reject the need.
2. Investigation of the need to approve feasibility study—senior management
would consider the need recognized by the concerned executive and approve
expenditure toward further investigation of the need or reject the proposal.
Once approved, a feasibility study is commissioned to establish the requirement
or reject it.
3. A feasibility study is used to establish the requirement and draw up the project
specifications—it is conducted to justify or reject investment in the proposed
computerized information processing need. A feasibility study investigates the
need, captures, the volumes, resources (people, equipment, money, and dura-
tion) needed to fulfill the need, carry out cost-benefit analysis and draw up
project specifications. The deliverable of the feasibility study would be a fea-
sibility report.
4. Approval of investment—The feasibility report would be considered by senior
management and depending on the availability of funds, approves the project.
This will spur the project into action.