Software Engineering has become more fluid over the years as Agile and Scrum methodology adoption rates rise. The sheer nature of these methodologies lends themselves to supporting and, to some degree, encouraging change in requirements via incremental development. This phenomenon continues the process of refining the requirements and scope of a project as it progresses.
Regardless of project management methodologies and how they handle change in requirements, the initial requirements, scope, backlog, budget, and time estimates would have to exist for a project’s commencement. Surprisingly, over 50% of projects miss their mark due to missing requirements not captured during the project’s initial scoping. The fundamental goal of requirements gathering is to explore, research, and document what success looks like for a given project. These requirements will eventually become a backlog of items representing the tasks needed for project completion without future changes. Such oversight can be problematic and have a disastrous effect on a project’s outcome. With the primary building blocks and assumptions lacking, the possibility of massive changes in order course correct will put a strain on deadlines and budgets. This article will outline different ways of approaching projects, requirements gathering techniques, and building a reliable project backlog for project planning, execution, and fulfillment, resulting in a solid foundation for a strong project start.
