requirementdriven

Requirementdriven refers to an approach in software and systems engineering where development activities are guided by explicit stakeholder requirements. In a requirementdriven workflow, requirements steer decisions about architecture, design, implementation, verification, and delivery, rather than relying primarily on inferred needs or component-centric agendas. The term describes practices that emphasize tracing, analysis, and validation of requirements throughout the lifecycle.

Core principles include clear elicitation and documentation of requirements, bidirectional traceability from each requirement to design elements, code, and tests, and prioritization based on value, risk, and feasibility. Acceptance criteria are defined to verify that a requirement has been satisfied, and the development process is typically organized around delivering features or components that map to specific requirements. Requirements are often refined iteratively, with regular validation against stakeholder goals.

Relationship to other methods: requirementdriven approaches are compatible with agile, iterative, and model-based methods. They commonly employ backlog items or features that correspond to requirements, with traces feeding impact analysis, change management, and compliance activities. Techniques such as use-case modeling, scenario-based design, and test-driven verification are frequently used to operationalize the concept.

Benefits include improved alignment with stakeholder needs, better scope control, enhanced change and risk management, and easier compliance in regulated environments. Challenges can involve maintaining up-to-date traces in dynamic domains, managing changing requirements, ensuring completeness, and balancing overhead with agility.

See also: requirements engineering, traceability, verification and validation, architecture-centric design.