Novel lightweight engineering artifacts for modeling non-functional requirements in agile processes

Agile software development methodologies, such as Scrum, have gained tremendous popularity and proven successful in quickly delivering quality Functional Requirements (FRs). However, agile methodologies have not adequately modeled Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs) and their potential solutions (operationalizations) with FRs in early development phases. This research proposes three fundamental agile artifacts to model FRs, NFRs, and their potential solutions in a visual environment. First, FRs are modeled through Agile Use Cases (AUCs). Second, NFRs are modeled through Agile Loose Cases (ALCs). Third, NFRs potential solutions are modeled through Agile Choose Cases (ACCs). AUCs are newly proposed hybrid of use cases and agile user stories. ALCs are proposed loosely-defined agile NFRs. ACCs are proposed potential solutions (operationalizations) for ALCs. The three artifacts are combined in a visual framework to promote agile modeling of NFRs (primarily) and how they are linked to FRs. The artifacts are the building blocks of a more comprehensive framework for modeling NFRs in agile software development processes.

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