Slides of Sabrina Marczak's PhD defence at University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada. The research was about collaboration patterns driven by software requirements. A framework to investigate requirements-driven collaboration was proposed. More about this work at www.inf.pucrs.br/sabrina.marczak

1. On the Understanding
of Requirements-Driven
Collaboration
A Framework and an Empirical
Field Investigation
Sabrina Marczak
PhD Oral Examination
Victoria, Canada - February 15, 2011

2. Requirements Engineering
It drives downstream phases and
artifacts development
Conception Planning
R. Analyst P. Manager
Design Development
Architect Developer
Testing Deployment
Tester Developer
2

3. Requirements Engineering
It drives downstream phases and
artifacts development
Conception Planning
R. Analyst P. Manager R. Analyst
Design Development Requirement
Architect Developer Tester Architect
Testing Deployment
Tester Developer
Developer P. Manager
2

4. Collaboration Coordination
Communication
Awareness
Dependency
R. Analyst R. Analyst
Requirement Requirement
Tester Architect Tester Architect
Developer P. Manager Developer P. Manager
3

5. Collaboration Coordination
Communication
Awareness
Dependency
R. Analyst R. Analyst
Requirements-driven
Requirement
collaborationRequirement
Tester Architect Tester Architect
Developer P. Manager Developer P. Manager
3

6. Research goal
to develop an approach to study
requirements-driven collaboration
and specifically communication and
fleeting knowledge
to further the understanding of
requirements-driven collaboration by
empirically examining communication
and fleeting knowledge
4

7. Contributions of this Thesis
A framework to Study RDC
1
concepts and measures
5

8. Framework to study RDC
R1 R2
6

9. Framework to study RDC
R. Analyst Developer
R. Analyst
Developer
Developer Developer
Developer
Architect Architect
Tester Tester
Tester
R1 R2
Requirements-centric team
6

10. Framework to study RDC
R. Analyst Developer
R. Analyst
Developer
Developer Developer
Developer
Architect Architect
Tester Tester
Tester
R1 R2
Requirements-centric social network
6

11. Framework to study RDC
R. Analyst Developer
R. Analyst
Developer
Developer Developer
Developer
Architect Architect
Tester Tester
Tester
R1 R2
Social network measures: e.g., degree
6

12. Framework to study RDC
Social network measures
Sociogram Clique
Size Component
Density reachability
Ties statistics Cutpoint
Centralization Degree
Core-periphery Brokerage
Ties reciprocity Socio-technical
congruence
7

13. Framework to study RDC
8

14. Contributions of this Thesis
A framework to Study RDC
1
concepts and measures
9

15. Contributions of this Thesis
A framework to Study RDC
1
concepts and measures
Empirical insights about RDC
2
Multiple case study
9

16. Empirical case study
APP Project SHIP Project
- Sales and HR - Shipping
- 45 members - 14 members
- 2 buildings - Brazil and USA
- New team - Mature team
10

17. Empirical case study
APP Project SHIP Project
- Sales and HR - Shipping
- 45 members - 14 members
- 2 buildings - Brazil and USA
- New team - Mature team
10

18. Data Collection and analysis
document contextual
inspection information
UCInet 6.0
team members
SNA
requirements measures
2nd 4th
time
1st 3rd
Knowledge
Communication
about the
Awareness
projects
interviews Questionnaire
Observations
11

19. Socio-technical congruence
“fit” between For each pair of people with a
technical dependency in a network
coordination needs
established by
technical dependencies
and actual
coordination in the Is there actual
communication?
project Yes No
Satisfied
Gap
coord. need
12

20. Socio-technical congruence
Requirements
Analyst
Development
Test Leader
Leader
Developer Tester
APP Project
13

21. Socio-technical congruence
Requirements
Analyst
Development
Test Leader
Leader
For each pair of people with a
technical dependency in a network
Developer Tester
Are these roles
supposed to
communicate?
APP Project Yes No
Is there actual Is there actual
communication? communication?
Yes No Yes No
Aligned Backchannel
Real gap False gap
communication communication
13

22. Coordination needs (CN)
RA DL D1 D2 T
Requirements
Analyst --
Development
Leader --
Developer 1 --
Developer 2 --
Tester --
actual Coordination (AC)
RA DL D1 D2 T
Requirements
Analyst --
Development
Leader --
Developer 1 --
Developer 2 --
Tester --
14

23. Coordination needs (CN)
RA DL D1 D2 T
Requirements
Analyst --
Development
Leader --
Developer 1 --
Developer 2 --
Tester --
actual Coordination (AC) coordination alignment (CA)
RA DL D1 D2 T RA DL D1 D2 T
Requirements
Analyst -- Requirements
Analyst
-- x x
Development
Leader -- Development
leader x -- x
Developer 1 -- Developer 1 x x --
Developer 2 -- Developer 2 --
Tester --
14
Tester x x --

24. Coordination needs (CN)
RA DL D1 D2 T
Requirements Requirements
Analyst -- Analyst
Development
Leader --
Development
Test Leader
Leader
Developer 1 --
Developer 2 --
Developer Tester
Tester --
actual Coordination (AC) coordination alignment (CA)
RA DL D1 D2 T RA DL D1 D2 T
Requirements
Analyst -- Requirements
Analyst
-- x x
Development
Leader -- Development
leader x -- x
Developer 1 -- Developer 1 x x --
Developer 2 -- Developer 2 --
Tester --
14
Tester x x --

25. Coordination needs (CN) role-based calculation (CN’)
RA DL D1 D2 T RA DL D1 D2 T
Requirements
Requirements
Analyst -- Analyst --
Development
Development
Leader -- Leader --
Developer 1 -- Developer 1 --
Developer 2 -- Developer 2 --
Tester
Tester -- --
actual Coordination (AC) coordination alignment (CA)
RA DL D1 D2 T RA DL D1 D2 T
Requirements
Analyst -- Requirements
Analyst
-- x x
Development
Leader -- Development
leader x -- x
Developer 1 -- Developer 1 x x --
Developer 2 -- Developer 2 --
Tester --
14
Tester x x --

26. Coordination needs (CN) role-based calculation (CN’)
RA DL D1 D2 T RA DL D1 D2 T
Requirements
Requirements
Analyst -- Analyst --
Development
Development
Leader -- Leader --
Developer 1 -- Developer 1 --
Developer 2 -- Developer 2 --
Tester
Tester -- --
actual Coordination (AC) coordination alignment (CA)
RA DL D1 D2 T RA DL D1 D2 T
Requirements
Analyst -- Requirements
Analyst
-- x x
Development
Leader -- Development
leader x -- x
Developer 1 -- Developer 1 x x --
Developer 2 -- Developer 2 --
Tester --
14
Tester x x --

27. Insights About Socio-technical
congruence
Requirements
Analyst
Development
Test Leader
Leader
Developer Tester
15

28. Insights About Socio-technical
congruence
Requirements
Analyst
Development
Test Leader
Leader
Developer Tester
15

29. Insights About Socio-technical
congruence
testers predominant in initiating
backchannel communication
Requirements
Analyst
Development
Test Leader
Leader
Developer Tester
15

30. Insights About Socio-technical
congruence
Requirements
Analyst
Development
Test Leader
Leader
Developer Tester
16

31. Insights About Socio-technical
congruence
Requirements clarifications and communication
of changes predominate in backchannel
communication
Requirements Communication of changes
Analyst
Communication of changes
Development
Test Leader
Leader
Requirements clarification
Developer Tester
Requirements clarification
16

32. Insights About Socio-technical
congruence
Requirements
Analyst
Development
Test Leader
Leader
Developer Tester
17

33. Insights About Socio-technical
congruence
physical separation did not stop backchannel
communication
Requirements
Analyst
Development
Test Leader
Leader
Building 1
Building 2
Developer Tester
17

34. Socio-technical congruence
More-detailed measure to identify
coordination congruence
Backchannel communication
False gaps
Alignment of actual coordination
behavior with organization structure
18

35. Contributions of this Thesis
A framework to Study RDC
1
concepts and measures
CSE Book chapter, 2010
Empirical insights about RDC
2
Multiple case study
RE07, GREW07, RE08, STC08, CIRCUS09, GS11
19

36. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
CONTRIBUTION AND
FEEDBACK TO THIS
RESEARCH!
Sabrina Marczak
PhD Oral Examination
Victoria, Canada - February 15, 2011