The Problem Of Producing A Quality Requirements SpecificationWith SSADM Version 4: An Evaluation

The product of the analysis process is the 'requirements specification'. This is the statement of the prblem that has to be solved. Two phases , Requirements Analysis and Requirements Definition can be jointly referred to as Requirements Engineering. Requirements analysis and specification are arguably the two most important aspects of systems development. The objectives of systems analysis is to examine all aspects of the system: the equipment, personnel, operating conditions, and its internal and external demands, to establish a basis for designing and implementing a better system. Failure to elicit a correct and feasible set of requirements from the customer/client at the outset of development can result in the user receiving a final system that bears little resemblance to the original system he envisaged. Alternatively they may receive a system that appears to fit the requirements, but does not have inherent quality. Many solutions to the problems of communication in Requirements Engineering have been proposed with varying degrees of success. This paper will demonstrate how SSADM Version 4. handles (or fails to handle) issues of quality during the requirements engineering phase.