Prerequisites for Success : Why Process Improvement Programs Fail

S ystem development programs continue to fail at an alarming rate. Failure is defined as: a) coming in late, b) going over budget, or c) not delivering what was required [1]. Failure often comes only after millions of dollars in scarce resources have been invested in the doomed venture. In spite of all the existing research and lessons learned, system development programs remain recalcitrant. There is clearly a need to improve the quality of system development efforts [2]. The failure to accurately and completely identify the problem to be solved (system requirements) is a root cause of system development failures [3]. The following definitions will provide a base of understanding for this article: • What is a system requirement? System requirements encompass a broad spectrum of capabilities and attributes that a business system must possess. To properly address the risks associated with requirement gathering, a sufficiently inclusive definition must be adopted. For the purposes of this discussion we use the following definition of system requirement: Any function, capability, characteristic , constraint, or purpose the software system in question must directly or indirectly address or satisfy for any stakeholder [4]. • What is a system requirement risk? There are many formal definitions of risk. I choose to apply the following definition provided by the Project Management Institute: A risk is an uncertain condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on a project objective [5]. System requirements should emanate from a business need [6]. Numerous methodologies exist for the sole purpose of requirement elicitation, gathering, and documentation. The impediments to successful requirement elicitation are numerous [7]. Multiple business variables converge on any effort to gather the requirement for a perceived business need. Business problems must be evaluated in the context of strategic planning beyond the system solution being developed for any individual business need. Shortsighted solutions to immediate business needs might cause considerable long-term harm to the organization [8]. Stakeholder Viewpoints Most software systems in today's business environment have stakeholders with divergent and conflicting points of view about the nature of the business problem , let alone how it should be solved. These varied points of view manifest in the requirement elicitation process and must be considered before a final system solution to a problem can be defined [9]. Figure 1 describes a basic requirement elicitation process. Senior management should approach a business need from a strategic point …