AVOIDING PROJECT FAILURE: PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST

摘要

The consistent failure of software development projects to deliver what is expected of them is a significant headache for businesses. It has been claimed that only around a third of such projects can be regarded as successful and that one of the primary reasons for this lack of success is poor requirements management. Requirements are what drive any development process, yet without a shared understanding between those who produce the requirements (the business), those who turn them into tangible software (the developers) and those who ultimately use the software (the end-users), project failure becomes ever more likely. Using a case study this paper discusses the use of participatory techniques and lightweight models to describe and explore the problem and its potential solutions; applying highly iterative, feedback-driven and people-centred techniques from the outset to provide clarity in what is really required and so position teams for success.