Controlling Changing Software Requirements

The CCB (Change Control Board). It is their responsibility to oversee and approve any proposed changes to your software project. They're officially in charge of moving the cheese around - or approving completely new cheese.

Once they get to work, your nice, safe plate of Pepper Jack could morph overnight into something rich and strange, like English Farm Cheese with Dried Currants.

Project changes happen, but they aren't always easy to deal with. And they don't just affect Development (Nacho Cheese Doritos(tm)) or QA (Swiss Cheese).

It's critical that CCBs recognize that scope changes also affect documented requirements and the people who manage those requirements.

Scope Changes Affect Software Requirements Tasks

Changes approved by the CCB may generate requirements-related tasks, such as:

• Identify all requirements impacted by the change (requirements traceability will make this much easier)
• Update impacted requirements documentation and related models
• Manage review and approval of changes to existing requirements
• Elicit additional requirements to supplement or replace existing requirements
• Communicate all changes to impacted parties

Keep Business Analysts in The Loop

All impacts of a requested change must be identified and agreed upon so that informed decisions regarding the request can be made.

Even seemingly small or simple requests can easily become big changes when all of the related activities are considered.

Be aware, actively participate in controlling change on your project, and when your CCB hands you a wedge of Vieux-Boulogne (the world's smelliest cheese), you won't even blink.