The Role of Precise Requirements in Custom Software Development

The success of IT projects largely depends on the precise and detailed definition of requirements. If the requirements are incomplete or not properly defined, numerous problems can arise during the project, ultimately leading to its failure. Below, I will explain how the lack of precise requirements affects the success of IT projects and what steps can be taken to avoid this.

Inaccurate Estimates and Planning: The lack or inaccuracy of requirements makes it difficult to accurately estimate the time and cost of the project. If detailed requirements are not available at the beginning of the project, project participants often underestimate the necessary resources and time, leading to subsequent delays and cost overruns. According to Jørgensen (2014), the extent of project delays is approximately 30%, which is largely attributable to inaccurate estimates.

Frequent Change Requests (CR): Incomplete requirements often lead to new demands and change requests during the project. These changes not only disrupt the project schedule but also require additional resources and costs. Research by Verner and Cerpa (2005) indicates that well-defined requirements positively impact project success, while incomplete requirements result in frequent change requests.

Communication Problems: The lack or inaccuracy of requirements often leads to communication problems between the project team and stakeholders. Unclear requirements can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts, further complicating project implementation.

Example: During a software development project, communication between the development team and the client was not properly structured. The client requested a new feature that allows users to create individual profiles. However, the client did not specify exactly what data should be collected for the profiles and how they should be displayed.
The development team made assumptions and created a basic profile page that only included the user's name and email address. However, the client expected a much more detailed profile, including the user's photo, date of birth, interests, and other personal data. When the client saw the completed feature, they were disappointed and submitted numerous change requests, resulting in significant delays and increased costs.

Low-Quality Deliverables: Due to the lack of precise requirements, developers do not always know exactly what they need to deliver. This can result in low-quality products that do not meet customer expectations. Incomplete requirements often lead developers to improvise, increasing the number of errors and rework.

Increased Project Complexity: The lack of requirements can also increase the complexity of the project. Unclear requirements often lead developers to overcomplicate solutions, increasing project complexity and future maintenance costs.

Creating Detailed Requirement Specifications: One key to project success is having well-defined requirements. Detailed development and continuous updating of requirements reduce the number of change requests later. During the requirement specification process, it is important to involve all stakeholders and clearly document the requirements.

Implementing Requirement Management Processes: Introducing processes for managing requirements can help accurately define and track requirements. Requirement management processes ensure that requirements are continuously updated and kept current, and that all changes are properly documented and approved.

Improving Communication: To avoid communication problems, it is important to establish clear and effective communication channels. Regular updates and transparent communication facilitate collaboration between teams and ensure accurate understanding of requirements.

Using Prototypes and Iterative Development: Applying prototypes and iterative development methods can help more accurately define requirements. Prototypes allow clients to provide early feedback during development, helping to clarify requirements and manage changes.

Risk Management: To manage risks arising from the lack of requirements, it is important to introduce risk management processes. Identifying, assessing, and managing risks help minimize problems arising from the lack of requirements and reduce the likelihood of project failure.

The lack of precise requirements significantly impacts the success of IT projects. Incomplete requirements lead to inaccurate estimates, frequent change requests, communication problems, low-quality deliverables, and increased project complexity. Creating detailed requirement specifications, implementing requirement management processes, improving communication, using prototypes and iterative development, and managing risks can help minimize these problems and increase project success.

• Jørgensen, M. (2014). What We Do and Don't Know about Software Development Effort Estimation. IEEE Software, 31(2), 37–40. https://doi.org/10.1109/MS.2014.49
• Verner, J. & Cerpa, N. (2005). Australian Software Development: What Software Project Management Practices Lead to Success? 2005 Australian Software Engineering Conference, 70–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ASWEC.2005.14