Abstract
This paper analyzes the changes in a Graphical User Interface (GUI) design requirement document from the time that the document was baselined to the time that the software system was delivered to the customer. The purpose is to find out where the most changes are in order to develop strategies to improve the efficiency of delivering GUI requirements. One hundred and seventy modification requests, which include 266 requested changes against a baselined GUI requirement document were analyzed. The requested changes were classified into three categories: Wrong Information, Missing Information and System Changes. It was found that 62% requested changes fell into the Wrong Information category, 18% were in the Missing Information category and 20% were in the System Changes category. In the Wrong Information category, most of the changes were due to inconsistencies within the document (39%) followed by wrong information on screens (28%) and wrong processing rules (24%). Nine percent requested changes were due to inconsistencies between the GUI and other system components such as the server. In the Missing Information category, most of the requested changes were about missing processing rules (60%). In the System Changes category, most of the changes were about enhancing system performance or usability (45%). The changes due to server or other related system requirement changes accounted for 38%. Some suggestions made to reduce the errors in the document include: to review the document thoroughly, to conduct synchronization reviews between system documents, and to conduct walk through/usability studies on the prototype before baselining the document.
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