Project Management
Requirements Traceability Matrix and Risk Assessment
Brandy Bowser
MSPM-6180
Walden University
Dr. Petrina Woods-Shatteen
February 10, 2013
Abstract
Requirements traceability involves linking a requirement backwards to an actual business need and forwards to the ending product or service. Requirements are also linked to other requirements (Kerton, 2011). Requirements traceability benefits an organization by allowing it to improve scope management, improve test coverage and test costs, and improve impact assessment (Kerton, 2011, p. 2-3). A properly completed requirements traceability matrix allows an organization to clearly identify risks within the improved business process, as well as any opportunities and threats.
The proposed business process improvement involves updating the journal voucher process for federal grant deposits to allow for electronic completion, submission, and approval. Federal deposits can present as an individual amount for one center or as a sum of multiple centers. Approved users will be able to enter the journal voucher information in an online system. The system will calculate the total for all lines entered, which should match the federal deposit amount. Upon completion of the entry, the journal vouchers are submitted to a higher level for approval. During the completion and approval process, the system will indicate an “open” status. The system will send an email notification to the approver to access the system and approve the journal voucher(s). Once the journal voucher is approved, the status of the open journal voucher will then show “completed”. Figure 1 shows the user requirements traceability matrix for journal voucher completion process with forward traceability. Figure 2 shows the system requirements traceability matrix with backward traceability.
Figure 1: Journal Voucher Completion User Requirements Traceability Matrix
| Requirement ID |User Requirement
Brandy Bowser
MSPM-6180
Walden University
Dr. Petrina Woods-Shatteen
February 10, 2013
Abstract
Requirements traceability involves linking a requirement backwards to an actual business need and forwards to the ending product or service. Requirements are also linked to other requirements (Kerton, 2011). Requirements traceability benefits an organization by allowing it to improve scope management, improve test coverage and test costs, and improve impact assessment (Kerton, 2011, p. 2-3). A properly completed requirements traceability matrix allows an organization to clearly identify risks within the improved business process, as well as any opportunities and threats.
The proposed business process improvement involves updating the journal voucher process for federal grant deposits to allow for electronic completion, submission, and approval. Federal deposits can present as an individual amount for one center or as a sum of multiple centers. Approved users will be able to enter the journal voucher information in an online system. The system will calculate the total for all lines entered, which should match the federal deposit amount. Upon completion of the entry, the journal vouchers are submitted to a higher level for approval. During the completion and approval process, the system will indicate an “open” status. The system will send an email notification to the approver to access the system and approve the journal voucher(s). Once the journal voucher is approved, the status of the open journal voucher will then show “completed”. Figure 1 shows the user requirements traceability matrix for journal voucher completion process with forward traceability. Figure 2 shows the system requirements traceability matrix with backward traceability.
Figure 1: Journal Voucher Completion User Requirements Traceability Matrix
| Requirement ID |User Requirement
References: Brown, C. (2011). Requirements risk. Business Analysts Articles: Business Analysis and Systems Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/212/Requirements-Risk-Management.aspx. Kerton, B. (2011). Requirements traceability: why bother? Smart Bear. Retrieved from http://blog.smartbear.com/software-quality/bid/167293/Requirements-Traceability-Why-Bother.