Mastering the Requirements Process (2nd Edition)

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Written in an engaging style and relevant for any software analyst or designer, Mastering the Requirements Process provides a powerful and useful guide to defining more complete software requirements that lead to better software overall. It's also filled with innovative advice.

The heart of this book is the authors' Volere Requirements Process Model, a step-by-step guide to gathering your requisites. Throughout this book, the authors use this process to explicate a single case study--a system for a municipality that will optimize the de-icing of roadways during snowy weather. Along the way, the book provides a solid guide to identifying and refining requirements, both functional and nonfunctional (such as performance and ease of use).

There are many excellent ideas in the book, including the notion of fitness for your requirements, which can be later used to track whether the software is successful. The book also wisely separates technology from requirements so that analysts can concentrate on understanding and modeling business problems instead of moving right away to the nuts and bolts of implementation. Even if you don't adopt the Volere model in toto, you can benefit from the concepts of "trawling" (a metaphor for the requirements-gathering process), quality gateways (in which tentative requirements are evaluated for inclusion in a project), and the wise use of patterns to help simplify the process.

Anchored by numerous examples (including many samples of successful requirements), the book provides an appealing mix of new ideas along with a remarkably clear presentation. In short, Mastering the Requirements Process provides useful advice that can make the project specification building phase of the software process easier and more robust. It provides the first steps for improving overall software quality for your organization. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Volere Requirements Process Model; project blastoff; determining requirements; user and stakeholders; project constraints; requirements constraints; use cases; business events; adjacent systems; innovation; trawling for requirements: apprenticing, interviews, and videotape; functional and nonfunctional requirements; fit criteria; quality gateways; traceability; prototyping and scenarios; low and high fidelity prototypes; patterns and requirements reuse; improving the requirements gathering process.

Book Description

Written by two internationally acclaimed experts on requirements, Mastering the Requirements Process provides software engineers with the practical insights, techniques and templates to discover exactly what their customers desire for their systems. It also explains how to implement an easily learned, ongoing forma requirements process which allows the requirements to evolve over the life time of the project. Using this book you will learn how to ask the right questions, how to determine whether or not the final solution will satisfy the requirements, how to fit the solution to the requirements to provide high quality products and even how to reuse requirements. The result is, systems that the user loves to use!

Customer Reviews:

Fatal Fundamental Flaws (cont).......2007-08-03

this book has not only the flaws identified below by F.C.Passavant - in addition it has inconsistencies in terminology, lots of ambiguity. it was difficult to map described precesses to those regarded in the field (i.e. IATF Release 3.1)

I found "Requirements Engineering" by Elizabeth Hull, Kenneth Jackson, and Jeremy Dick a much better choice.

Practical and good to keep it as a reference.......2007-05-16

I found this book very practical, it's an excellent source of examples and cases. Even I would recommend it as a text book for university students.

Have solid requirements in place before you begin.......2007-01-21

The cost of undetected errors in software requirements can be extremely high. To start with, it could happen to build the wrong product.
So, any care must be taken to have strong foundations in place; this is still the case if you plan to go Agile.
If you like Steve McConnell's 'Rapid Development' and 'Code Complete', this book is a perfect complement covering the early phases of the software process.
In a sentence, this book is a must for anyone dealing with software engineering, from the developer to the manager.

Good book, gorgeous annexes.......2007-01-13

I've been reading and studying this book for over 4 months as the main book of a requirements engineering subject of a master in informatics.

Most chapters in this book are good (7.- Functional requirements / 8.- Nonfunctional requirements), others are gorgeous (3.- Project Blastoff), and others just a little poor (5.- Trawling for requirements).

But the most interesting part of this book are the 164 pages of the two annexes. They are just a excellent way for approaching to the requirements process with many examples that can guide anyone to a final solution in any requirements problem.

Learn how to write useful requirements.......2006-06-09

I decided to read Mastering the Requirements Process (2nd Edition) because, while I am an experienced software developer/consultant, I have always struggled with writing requirements. It's not the writing itself that I find difficult it's the feeling that I'm wasting my time. You see, while I know that well documented requirements are critically important in any project, I often feel like I'm somehow missing the point when I sit down and struggle through a requirements document. I don't mind working hard and I don't mind wasting time but I can't bear the though of working hard to waste time! So, I was excited to read "Requirements are not meant to place an extra burden on your project. Instead, they are there to make your project run more smoothly" in chapter one. Yes! Exactly!

In this book I found a very thorough and well-presented requirements process. Robertson and Robertson clearly speak from years of experience.

The contents are as follows:
Chapter 1 What Are Requirements?
Chapter 2 The Requirements
Chapter 3 Project Blastoff
Chapter 4 Event-Driven Use Cases
Chapter 5 Trawling for Requirements
Chapter 6 Scenarios and Requirements
Chapter 7 Functional Requirements
Chapter 8 Nonfunctional Requirements
Chapter 9 Fit Criteria
Chapter 10 Writing the Requirements
Chapter 11 The Quality Gateway
Chapter 12 Prototyping the Requirements
Chapter 13 Reusing Requirements
Chapter 14 Reviewing the Specification
Chapter 15 Whither Requirements?

You could teach a full college course from this text. Rather than use the full Volere process, I plan to merge pieces of it into my company's existing methodology. For me, I was happy just to walk away with some new methods to 1) make my requirements useful and 2) ensure my requirements are complete.

[...]

Highly recommended.

Managing Software Development Projects: Formula for Success, 2nd Edition

Average customer rating:

A good book for managers
A good practical Guide to the Art of PM
Project Managing
Very well organized book
Perfect for first time software managers

Managing Software Development Projects: Formula for Success, 2nd Edition
Neal Whitten
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 047107683X

Book Description

Practical, comprehensive—a complete, no-nonsense guide to better project management...

This no-nonsense troubleshooting guide was written for frontline managers who want results, not rhetoric. Short on theory and long on practical, hands-on advice and guidance, it arms you with proven, easy-to-implement solutions to big ticket problems that plague today's software development projects, including those relating to personnel, quality, project scheduling and tracking, product requirements, product quality and usability, and much more. Written in a straightforward, conversational style and packed with realistic scenarios, Managing Software Development Projects, Second Edition shows you how to:

Identify, resolve, and avoid most common development problems
Improve the quality of your products and your customers' satisfaction with them
Shorten development cycles
Increase the productivity of your team members

Updated and expanded by over 50 percent to reflect many changes that have occurred in the field over the past four years, this Second Edition of the bestselling original is now, more than ever, an indispensable resource for every project manager or software developer.

Customer Reviews:

A good book for managers.......2006-05-24

I am continuously using this book to improve the productivity and quality in my company.

As a manager in the software area, this book is a must.
Every time I read the book, I find something new to change in the company.

A good practical Guide to the Art of PM.......2001-05-18

I have read many books on the subject of Project Management. Most fail , either because they try to treat PM as a science, or because they go completely the other way and lack any real substance. This book is different. It combines good sound PM methodology with common sense. This is complemented by practical examples of real life situations that I'm sure every PM can relate to. I would recommend every PM browse the chapter relevant to the phase of the project they are about to start on. It's amazing how much common sense we forget. This books demystifies PM and cuts out all the Jargon. It is a real asset to any PM who is serious about delivering software projects on time, within budget, to customer AND team satisfaction.

Project Managing.......1999-12-06

A good book about project managing, it's a knowledge that should be shared with all of IT managers and engineers.

Very well organized book.......1999-11-10

Very good book to read once and refer to it again and again. Practical scenarios make this book different from others. I have attended workshop by Neal Whitten. It was worth attending and surely he has enough number of issues with project management.

Perfect for first time software managers.......1999-11-03

It's simply a very easy to use book, it's structure is unique where it gives you what you need to know either by browsing the most common mistakes in software development process in every phase of the development cycle, or by reading the to-the-point lessons you should follow in each phase..I recommend it to new managers who need to be on the right track in a short time and also as a quick reference for every manager.

Software Engineering Project Management, 2nd Edition

Average customer rating:

Excellent collection of articles, but needs an index
Excellent collection!
Excellent collection!
A general description of issues a project manager must face.

Software Engineering Project Management, 2nd Edition

Manufacturer: Wiley-IEEE Computer Society Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0818680008

Book Description

Newly revised for 2001, this second edition of Richard Thayer's popular, bestselling book presents a top-down, practical view of managing a successful software engineering project. The book builds a framework for project management activities based on the planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling model. Thayer provides information designed to help you understand and successfully perform the unique role of a project manager.

This book is a must for all project managers in the software field. The text focuses on the five functions of general management by first describing each function and then detailing the project management activities that support each function. This second edition shows you how to manage a software development project, discusses current software engineering management methodologies and techniques, and presents general descriptions and project management problems. The book serves as a guide for your future project management activities. The text also offers students sufficient background and instructional material to serve as a main or supplementary text for a course in software engineering project management.

Note: The 2001 revision includes a new Chapter 4 Introduction and a new paper that replaces an older paper.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent collection of articles, but needs an index.......2000-10-04

This book is a collection of numerous classic articles on software project management. It is well organized and it is clear that a great deal of effort was put into identifying the best articles to include in this collection. The reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is for what it doesn't have -- an index! Without an index you will have a difficult time finding specific information without scanning many pages of text.

Excellent collection!.......1999-08-28

This collection was so good that I went back and ordered the other two collections (Software Engineering and Software Requirements Engineering). For anybody who teaches Software Engineering or Project Management classes (or anybody wanting a broad knowledge of the subjects), these books are invaluable.

Excellent collection!.......1999-06-21

For anybody involved in teaching classes on Project Management, this book is an excellent reference. Broad focus, enjoyable and informative reading...

A general description of issues a project manager must face........1998-03-26

This book provides a broad but detailed look at the functions and activities necessary for the proper management of a software development project. It is what you would expect from IEEE, an academic perspective on the process---both from a quantitative development and quality management orientation. Some of the contributors are, of course, priceless (particularly Alan M. Davis' "Trial By Firing: Saga of a Rookie Manager") in relating their own experiences as project managers in this strange business we're in.

Book Description

Health Care Finance: Basic Tools for Nonfinancial Managers, Second Edition is a practical financial management text for those who need basic financial management knowledge and a better understanding of health care finance. Using actual examples from hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home health agencies, this text includes practical information for the nonfinancial manager charged with budgeting. This user-friendly text is a thorough revision.

New chapters include:

* Communicating Financial Information to Others
* Comparative Data, Forecasts and Benchmarking
* Business Loans and Financing Costs
* Owning versus Leasing Equipment
* Putting It All Together: Creating a Business Plan
* Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth
* Capital Expenditure Budgets

Customer Reviews:

Ok basic, but not too helpful.......2006-02-26

This book gives a good basic overview of the health care finance. Its best feature is that it is applied to health care only, so you don't have to go through other business models. I cannot see using it in the future though - if you are planning to manage your office/work on a budget/evaluate your organization from a financial stand point, this is not the book you will need.

The Basics of Finance: Financial Tools for Non-Financial Managers

Average customer rating:

The Basics of Finance: Financial Tools for Non-Financial Managers
Bryan E. Milling
Manufacturer: Authors Choice Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Finance And Accounting For Nonfinancial Managers: All The Basics You Need to Know

ASIN: 0595290302

Book Description

The Basics of Finance provides the tools you can use to understand the principles of financial management in your business.

The Basics of Finance can help you:

-understand your company's annual report
interact with the financial people in your organization
understand the viability of projects you are considering
use financial analyses to help you better understand your business
explain your ideas more convincingly using financial terms

The book includes explanations of fundamental accounting principles, basic financial statements, budgeting, and forecasting...All made clear and understandable for managers who may lack a background in business finance and accounting.

31 fundamental principles of financial management clearly and concisely explained
Simple case histories illustrate each principle
A glossary of key terms help you understand the language of finance
Simple straightforward language dispenses with much of the accounting and finance jargon and clarifies the basic tenets of effective financial management
"FINANCIAL FACTS," one or two sentence ideas found throughout the book, provide the conceptual and practical foundation for profitable financial management

As you work through a business and management career, it's essential to know The Basics of Finance.

Average customer rating:

Pleasant Enough

Completely won me over

Some slow parts

100% Corn

Nice evening with good people

Way Past Legal

Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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No Dominion: A Novel

ASIN: B000F6Z4Z0

Book Description

You never know, when it happens, what's going to change your life, what's going to bounce you out of the rut you've been in, send you flying off in some new direction.

Manny's latest score left him with more money than he's ever dreamed of, but with money comes danger -- from his partner, Rosey, who might get greedy, and from the Russian mobsters they stole it from. Worse, if he's busted again, he'll go back to prison for life, leaving his motherless five-year-old son, Nicky, still trapped in the foster care system.

With the kind of guts born of panic and desperation, Manny grabs his son and heads for the wilds of Maine. When he discovers that the bad guys are on his trail, his impulse is, as usual, to run. But the people he's met in Maine -- including the local police chief -- have become his unlikely friends and an unlikely surrogate family to his boy. Now they're all in danger, and it's because of him. Does Manny have what it takes to change his street-tough ways and become a real father to Nicky? And does he dare to settle into a new life, putting at stake the safety of everyone he has come to love?

Norman Green presents a gripping portrait of a man trying to break out of the stranglehold of a life of crime and create a future for himself and his son.

Customer Reviews:

Pleasant Enough.......2006-07-31

Norman Green has a knack for dialogue and character development. I enjoyed all the characters of Northern Maine that comprise this novel and it's antihero Manny, but I found the plot a bit flimsy. You've got a big heist, redneck cops , Russian Mafia, and Oxycotin drug trafficking, but you put them all together and they kind of fizzle out. Yes, as I've already said the characters are great and the dialogue sharp but the plot is threadbare. I'd give Norman Green another try. He is truly talented, but this is a book that could have been a lot better had it been fleshed out.

Completely won me over.......2006-02-01

When I started this book, I was sooo disappointed at first. It's certainly not the type of mystery I normally read & was about to chuck it. I'm glad I gave it a few more pages beause it really grows on you. Who would think some low-life could have you rooting for him? Give it a try- some characters stretch the imagination, I agree, but in the long run, it was worth my time & then some. Hard to put down once all the plot pulled together.

Some slow parts.......2005-09-02

Not a bad book overall. There were some slow parts, especially when the narrator talks about his bird watching hobby. The story eventually picks up towards the end. I'm not sure this book got me interested enough to go back and read his other two novels.

100% Corn.......2005-08-06

Corny. It's an old word but an apt description of this book. It starts well enough, but melts into bathos as the protagonist goes from the cruel city to the countryside, where he meets one soap-opera saint after another. There's the old lady who needs an operation she can't afford, the sensitive adolescent who's afraid to leave home for college, the wise Indian matron, the hulking retarded kid who just needs a little attention, and his dad, the tough but fair sherriff. And the hero, another of those armed robbers with a heart of gold you meet so often, manages to save every one of them.
It's like starting out in a caper movie and ending up on the Andy Griffith Show. Jeez, when did America go all corny? How did the country that produced Scorsese and Hunter S. Thompson turn chicken so fast?

Nice evening with good people.......2004-10-27

I rate "thrillers" and mysteries on the basis of "would I like to hang out with these people?" Plot and writing are important but secondary. I will stop in the middle, no matter how exciting or well crafted if the characters are just not the kind of people I want to spend time with.

This one passes with no question at all. Lots of great people I would want to know better. The plot and the writing hold up as well.

Average customer rating:

Way Past Legal
Norman Green
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEX2MK

Average customer rating:

Way Past Legal
Norman Green
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEZ7NM

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Labour/Le Travail, published by Canadian Committee on Labour History on September 22, 2002. The length of the article is 898 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Cowboys, Gentlemen and Cattle Thieves: Ranching on the Western Frontier. (Reviews/Comptes Rendus).(Book Review)
Author: David C. Jones
Publication: Labour/Le Travail (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2002
Publisher: Canadian Committee on Labour History
Page: 329(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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