Abstract
[Context and motivation] Outsourcing of software development is an attractive business model. Companies expect cost reduction, enhanced efficiency, and exploited external resources. However, this paradigmatic shift also introduces challenges as stakeholders are spread across distinct organizations. [Question/problem] Requirements traceability supports stakeholders in satisfying information needs about developments and could be a viable way of addressing the challenges of interorganizational development. While requirements traceability has been the subject of significant research efforts, its application across organizational boundaries is a largely unexplored area. [Principal ideas/results] We followed a qualitative research approach. First, we developed a taxonomy identifying the needs of inter-organizational traceability. Second, we conducted semi-structured interviews with informants from 17 companies. Eventually, we applied qualitative content analysis to extract findings that supported and evolved our taxonomy. [Contribution] Practitioners planning and managing inter-organizational relationships can use our findings as a conceptual baseline to effectively leverage traceability in those settings. Effective traceability supports projects in accomplishing their primary goal of maximizing business value.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Gotel, O.C.Z., Finkelstein, A.C.W.: An analysis of the requirements traceability problem. In: IEEE Proc. of the First Int. Conf. on RE, pp. 94–101 (1994)
Herbsleb, J., Moitra, D.: Global software development. IEEE Software 18(2), 16–20 (2001)
DiRomualdo, A., Gurbaxani, V.: Strategic intent for it outsourcing. Sloan Management Review 39(4), 67–80 (1998)
Cleland-Huang, J., Settimi, R., Romanova, E., Berenbach, B., Clark, S.: Best practices for automated traceability. Computer 40(6), 27–35 (2007)
Ramesh, B., Powers, T., Stubbs, C., Edwards, M.: Implementing requirements traceability: a case study. In: IEEE 2nd Int. Symposium on RE, pp. 89–95 (1995)
Arkley, P., Riddle, S.: Overcoming the traceability benefit problem. In: Proc. 13th IEEE Int’l Conf. on Requirements Engineering, pp. 385–389 (2005)
Mäder, P., Gotel, O., Philippow, I.: Motivation matters in the traceability trenches. In: Proc. of 17th Int’l Requirements Engineering Conference, RE 2009 (2009)
Gotel, O.: Contribution Structures for Requirements Traceability. PhD thesis, Imperial Collage of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London (1995)
Lormans, M., van Dijk, H., Van Deursen, A., Nocker, E., de Zeeuw, A.: Managing evolving requirements in an outsourcing context: an industrial experience report. In: 7th Int’l Workshop on Principles of Software Evolution, pp. 149–158 (2004)
Damian, D., Chisan, J.: An empirical study of the complex relationships between requirements engineering processes and other processes that lead to payoffs in productivity, quality, and risk management. IEEE TSE 32(7), 433–453 (2006)
Rábade, L., Alfaro, J.: Buyer–supplier relationship’s influence on traceability implementation in the vegetable industry. PSM 12(1), 39–50 (2006)
Midler, C.: “projectification” of the firm: the renault case. Scandinavian Journal of Management 11(4), 363–375 (1995)
Grabher, G.: Temporary architectures of learning: knowledge governance in project ecologies. Organization studies 25(9), 1491–1514 (2004)
Jones, C., Lichtenstein, B.: Temporary inter-organizational projects: How temporal and social embeddedness enhance coordination and manage uncertainty. In: The Oxford Handbook of Inter-Organizational Relations, pp. 231–255 (2008)
Bakker, R., Knoben, J., De Vries, N., Oerlemans, L.: The nature and prevalence of inter-organizational project ventures: Evidence from a large scale field study in the netherlands 2006–2009. IJPM 29(6), 781–794 (2011)
Von Krogh, G., Nonaka, I., Aben, M.: Making the most of your company’s knowledge: a strategic framework. Long Range Planning 34(4), 421–439 (2001)
Kern, T., Willcocks, L.: Exploring information technology outsourcing relationships: theory and practice. JSIS 9(4), 321–350 (2000)
Halvey, J., Melby, B.: Information technology outsourcing transactions: process, strategies, and contracts. Wiley (2005)
Van Grembergen, W., De Haes, S., Guldentops, E.: Structures, processes and relational mechanisms for it governance. SITG 2004, 1–36 (2004)
Curtis, S., Gesler, W., Smith, G., Washburn, S.: Approaches to sampling and case selection in qualitative research: examples in the geography of health. Social Science & Medicine 50(7), 1001–1014 (2000)
Mayring, P.: Qualitative content analysis. In: Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: Qualitative Social Research, vol. 1 (2000)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Rempel, P., Mäder, P., Kuschke, T., Philippow, I. (2013). Requirements Traceability across Organizational Boundaries - A Survey and Taxonomy. In: Doerr, J., Opdahl, A.L. (eds) Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality. REFSQ 2013. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 7830. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37422-7_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37422-7_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-37421-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-37422-7
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)