requirement documentation in capstone project sample

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THESIS/CAPSTONE PROJECT DOCUMENTATION CHECKLIST

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Requirement Analysis Templates, Tips, and Techniques

By Kate Eby | April 30, 2022

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Requirements analysis is an important part of project management that helps with project definition. We’ve compiled requirement analysis techniques and expert tips to help you tackle your next big project.

In this article, you’ll find expert tips for performing requirement analysis , a requirement analysis template with guiding data , and a practical approach to understanding requirement analysis techniques .

What Is Requirement Analysis in Project Management?

Requirement analysis is an element of project management that helps ensure clarity, completeness, and relevance. The goal is to define expectations for a project. The requirements may apply to software development, process improvement, or a new technology purchase.

Purpose of Requirement Analysis

The purpose of requirements analysis is to collect the information necessary to design a product to meet the needs of stakeholders. Once the requirements analysis is complete, it will align with tasks that result in a suitable product.

Alexis Nicole White , a certified project manager (PMP), scrum master (SCM), and project delivery consultant with North Highland concurs: “The purpose of requirement analysis is to understand if the identified outcome aligns with the overall needs of the end-users by documenting, validating, and identifying any gaps within said requirements. Three types of conditions need addressing: business (why), functional (how), and technical (what) purpose of the product. It is best to compare current state processes with future processes to help identify gaps and flush out any additional concerns. 

“Therefore, it is critical to have the correct stakeholders involved during this period to identify the customer's needs, understand the feasibility, and evaluate the technical conditions to support the implementation. Lastly, the requirements help cultivate the acceptance criteria,” White notes.

Types of Requirement Analysis

The main types of requirements analysis include business, customer, product, functional, and non-functional requirements. Each one represents a stakeholder or stage of the project and communicates the project needs.

• Business Requirements: The business requirements include high-level needs that will help achieve a company’s objectives. They align with business objectives, mission, and goals. Specific features are not part of business requirements. 
• Customer Requirements: These requirements include expectations of how a product will meet the needs of a specific user group. 
• Design Requirements: Design requirements are a result of customer and product requirements. They convert the needs of the business and customers into design features.
• Functional Requirements: A functional requirement is a subset of a product requirement. It describes the service that a software product must deliver, including the specific behaviors of features and functions.
• Non-Functional Requirements: A non-functional requirement is a general quality attribute of a solution, such as a performance measurement. 
• Product/Service Requirements: A product requirement document (PRD) is an artifact that outlines the purpose, characteristics, functions, and features of a product, including software. The PRD is completed before development.

What Is the Difference Between Business Requirements and Software Requirements?

Business requirements include the business objectives expected from the final software product. Software requirements describe the solution’s main functions to meet the business objectives. Business requirements translate into software requirements.

What Is IT Requirement Analysis?

IT requirements analysis aims to ensure IT alignment with a company’s business strategy. Most organizations rely on technology to remain operational. The technology they use must be adequate to maintain operations without being a burden.

Defining business requirements helps identify and remedy gaps that may exist in IT services . According to “A Requirements Analysis Framework for Validating Strategic Alignment of Organizational IT Based on Strategy, Context, and Process” paper, “Strategic alignment of IT exists when a business organization's goals, activities, and processes are in harmony with the information systems that support them.”

Practical Software Requirement Analysis Techniques

A variety of requirement analysis techniques are available, including Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN), Gantt charts, flowcharts, and gap analysis. Precise and accurate software requirements are essential to project success. Requirement analysis helps identify the customers’ needs. 

Consultant White prefers to start with the BPMN technique. “When documenting requirements, I always like to start with the BPMN (current state) mapping and work my way to the future state process by creating a flowchart. I measure that with the requirements we collect and document the gaps. Then we identify a use case based on the content diagram and identify further gaps,” she explains.  

“Additionally, with the understanding that requirements gathering occurs within the project's discovery phase, I leverage Gantt charts to highlight the length of time it will take for each prospective role to complete their discovery work and call out any dependencies and successors from work performed,” White continues.

Business Process Modeling Notation

Business process modeling notation (BPMN) helps visually document the elements of a business process. The team maps out the current state as a baseline and determines the future desired state. By viewing the business process, businesses can make improvement decisions. 

Below is a sample BPMN diagram that shows a simple process. The process begins with the first task in the customer lane, lane 2 represents the work going to the first-level support department, and lane 3 illustrates escalation to second-level support. The work is sent back to the customer to complete the process. 

Learn more about how to use BPMN .

Unified Modeling Language

Unified Modeling Language ( UML ) is an object-oriented modeling language primarily used in software engineering to visualize system design. A behavioral UML diagram demonstrates what the system will do. A structural UML model includes elements that make up the system.

Flowcharts are a common way to illustrate the sequence of business processes. Using a flowchart helps demonstrate the progress of activities . They can represent how a system interacts, how data flows, and showcase elements of a process.

Role-Activity Diagrams

The role-activity diagram (RAD) is like a flowchart, but it also contains the participants at each process step. This technique requires an understanding of roles and responsibilities.

Gantt Charts

Gantt charts graphically represent the timeline of a project’s tasks. The chart will show the total time for each activity along with dependencies and resources. 

Gantt chart templates are helpful to use for simple project tracking, more complex dependency management, and IT projects.

Gap Analysis

A gap analysis is a technique to help identify the differences between the current state and the future desired state. This method is useful for business processes or software development projects. 

Below is a software gap analysis that illustrates the current and future state of a software application’s functionality. The proposal column includes a suggestion for reaching the desired state. A variety of gap analysis templates are also available for business processes, skills, training, and vendors.

How to Do Requirement Analysis

Requirement analysis starts with a team that collects data. After gathering all of the requirement data, analysis, and modeling, a review will occur. The best requirements are well-documented, measurable, and clear, and they help identify improvement opportunities.

General Steps in Requirement Analysis

Below you will find the most common steps teams take to gather appropriate project requirements. Performing these four activities ensure you paint a clear picture of requirements that align with business or customer needs.

1. Gather requirements.

This stage of the process involves the collection of requirements by communicating with the client or stakeholders. Example data collected during this stage may include a requirement for access to a product from a mobile device or a dashboard that provides real-time metrics. 

2. Analyze requirements.

Analysis ensures that requirements are clear, complete, and consistent. During this phase, the team will review all requirements to ensure each requirement statement is clear. They want to verify that there are no contradictions and all requirements align with the goal of the project. 

3. Requirements modeling.

Modeling is the way a team will document the requirements. They will use different formats that help visualize processes, detail use cases, or document specifications. Modeling can use any of the six practical software requirement analysis techniques.

The review stage provides time to reexamine the process and resulting documents, and identify areas for improvement. During a project post-mortem , the project leader, team, and stakeholders uncover what worked and what didn’t so that they can learn lessons for the future. Use a post-mortem template to document the results of your project.

Expert Tips and Best Practices for Performing Requirement Analysis

Current best practices for requirement analysis come from the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK). The publication suggests areas of knowledge for analysts. Of note, they dedicate an entire section to prioritizing requirements.

BABOK suggests, “Prioritization of requirements ensures that analysis and implementation efforts focus on the most critical requirements.” 

All stakeholders must agree on requirement importance while ensuring they are unambiguous, testable, and feasible. White agrees: “You must have all key stakeholders participating in the requirements collection process and the analysis of said findings. Apart from the project's leadership, one needs technical resources (developers, architects) and business analysis, and a few end-users to guide how to make the project a success.”

What Is a Requirement Analysis Document?

The requirement analysis document enables users to collect, organize, and track requirements. The goal is to ensure all requirements are in one location. The document guides planning and project management.

To complete the requirement analysis document, work with stakeholders or the client to gather requirements; use a template that includes the purpose, people, needs, and history; and ensure all stakeholders agree on the final conditions. 

Below are the essential elements that comprise a requirement analysis document:

• Business Drivers: Write the needs statement that presents the business case for the project.
• Description: The document's purpose describes the project name and the type of requirements and contents in the document.
• History: The version history section documents each revision to the document, author, date, and approver. 
• Purpose: A high-level description of the project’s goals and objectives.
• Requirements: Provide a summary of the project’s requirements. Use shall where requirements are stated, will for facts, and should to represent a goal.
• Signoff: Each stakeholder provides their signature, signifying they accept or reject the requirements. These signatures are necessary to authorize work to proceed. 
• Stakeholders: Identify the stakeholders and their roles in the project, including the expectations and any additional resources you will need.

Requirement Analysis Example and Template

Download Requirements Analysis Document Sample

Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

Download Requirements Analysis Document Template - Word

This requirement analysis example illustrates the content that may become part of a requirements document. In this example, the business is seeking a sales enablement solution. The requirements directly support the purpose of the project.

Requirement Analysis Challenges

Gathering requirements is one of the most complex stages of requirement analysis. Unclear requirements and communication problems can cause complications. Without clarity between the analyst and stakeholders, the project will likely fail. 

There are five common challenges in requirement analysis:

• Changing requirements
• Communication problems between the client or stakeholders and analyst
• Lack of access to stakeholders or difficulty meeting with relevant stakeholders
• Unclear or conflicting requirements
• Undocumented processes

To overcome these challenges, share the requirement analysis process with all team members, stakeholders, and clients. It’s vital that you avoid making assumptions because the document must be clear to everyone. Additionally, document your requirements, and share them with appropriate internal experts, clients, and stakeholders and get feedback through multiple review sessions. The resulting requirement document should be shared and noted as “final.” 

“The biggest challenge in requirements analysis is that not all correct stakeholders are part of the party,” shares White. “Missed requirements are one of the top reasons for projects to fail. Therefore, the right people must be in the correct places to provide key input.”

What Are the Tools Used in Requirement Analysis?

Many tools are available to perform requirement analysis and feature sets vary widely. Requirements management software focuses solely on requirements. Application lifecycle management (ALM) tools extend beyond the requirement management niche and apply to all development phases.

Below is a list of tools that include features that help businesses identify, measure, and assign requirements for a project:

• Codebeamer: Codebeamer is an application lifecycle management platform that helps specify, manage, and track software requirements. 
• Jama Connect: Jama Connect ensures quality and compliance by providing the ability to create, review, validate, and verify requirements in one solution.
• JIRA: JIRA can be used in conjunction with Confluence for requirement management and analysis. 
• Smartsheet: With Smartsheet you can visualize, organize, and communicate project requirements.
• SpiraTeam: Use SpiraTeam to manage requirements and user stories with an integrated requirements matrix.

Using Smartsheet to Document and Share Requirements Boosts Transparency and Collaboration

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• How to write a software requirement doc ...

How to write a software requirement document (with template)

Even if they lack the technical experience, a software requirement document template helps project managers and analysts communicate software expectations with developers. We’ll cover when and how to write one, as well as best practices to ensure your team is working towards the same goal.

Do you remember reading 19th-century novels in school and thinking, “Is this even the same language?” Well, it’s likely you’ve had that exact thought in the office when collaborating with tech-minded AI developers or web-savvy SEO analysts. If only there were CliffsNotes for colleagues.

Software requirement specification documents can help project managers, product managers, and business analysts break down high-level concepts into action items that every team member can follow during the development process. 

What is a software requirement specification document (SRS)?

A software requirement specifications (SRS) document lists the requirements, expectations, design, and standards for a future project. These include the high-level business requirements dictating the goal of the project, end-user requirements and needs, and the product’s functionality in technical terms. To put it simply, an SRS provides a detailed description of how a software product should work and how your development team should make it work.

Imagine you have a great idea for an app. You have a vision of what you want it to do and how you want it to look, but you know you can’t just give a verbal description to a developer and expect them to match your expectations. This is where an SRS comes in.

Why use an SRS?

If developers don’t have clear directions when creating a new product , you may end up spending more time and money than anticipated trying to get the software to match what you had in mind. 

Composing an SRS document helps you put your idea down on paper and set a clear list of requirements. This document becomes your product’s sole source of truth, so all your teams—from marketing to maintenance—are on the same page. 

Because software requirement specifications are living documents, they can also act as a communication point between every stakeholder involved in the product development process. Product iterations are bound to occur during any software development project—by noting changes in the SRS, all parties can validate them in the document. This will ease any confusion regarding product requirements. 

What to include in an SRS document

A basic SRS document outline has four parts: an introduction, system and functional requirements, external interface requirements, and non-functional requirements.

1. Introduction

An SRS introduction is exactly what you expect—it’s a 10,000-foot view of the overall project. When writing your introduction, describe the purpose of the product, the intended audience, and how the audience will use it. In your introduction, make sure to include:

Product scope: The scope should relate to the overall business goals of the product, which is especially important if multiple teams or contractors will have access to the document. List the benefits, objectives, and goals intended for the product. 

Product value: Why is your product important? How will it help your intended audience? What function will it serve, or what problem will it solve? Ask yourself how your audience will find value in the product. 

Intended audience: Describe your ideal audience. They will dictate the look and feel of your product and how you market it. 

Intended use: Imagine how your audience will use your product. List the functions you provide and all the possible ways your audience can use your product depending on their role. It’s also good practice to include use cases to illustrate your vision.

Definitions and acronyms: Every industry or business has its own unique acronyms or jargon. Lay out the definitions of the terms you are using in your SRS to ensure all parties understand what you’re trying to say.

Table of contents: A thorough SRS document will likely be very long. Include a table of contents to help all participants find exactly what they’re looking for. 

Make sure your introduction is clear and concise. Remember that your introduction will be your guide to the rest of the SRS outline, and you want it to be interpreted the same by everyone using the doc.

2. System requirements and functional requirements

Once you have your introduction, it’s time to get more specific.Functional requirements break down system features and functions that allow your system to perform as intended. 

Use your overview as a reference to check that your requirements meet the user’s basic needs as you fill in the details. There are thousands of functional requirements to include depending on your product. Some of the most common are:

If/then behaviors

Data handling logic

System workflows

Transaction handling

Administrative functions

Regulatory and compliance needs

Performance requirements

Details of operations conducted for every screen

If this feels like a lot, try taking it one requirement at a time. The more detail you can include in your SRS document, the less troubleshooting you’ll need to do later on. 

3. External interface requirements

External interface requirements are types of functional requirements that ensure the system will communicate properly with external components, such as:

User interfaces: The key to application usability that includes content presentation, application navigation, and user assistance, among other components.

Hardware interfaces: The characteristics of each interface between the software and hardware components of the system, such as supported device types and communication protocols.  

Software interfaces: The connections between your product and other software components, including databases, libraries, and operating systems. 

Communication interfaces: The requirements for the communication functions your product will use, like emails or embedded forms. 

Embedded systems rely on external interface requirements. You should include things like screen layouts, button functions, and a description of how your product depends on other systems. 

4. Non-functional requirements (NRFs)

The final section of your SRS details non-functional requirements. While functional requirements tell a system what to do, non-functional requirements (NFRs) determine how your system will implement these features. For example, a functional requirement might tell your system to print a packing slip when a customer orders your product. An NFR will ensure that the packing slip prints on 4”x6” white paper, the standard size for packing slips. 

While a system can still work if you don’t meet NFRs, you may be putting user or stakeholder expectations at risk. These requirements keep functional requirements in check, so it still includes attributes like product affordability and ease of use. 

The most common types of NFRs are called the ‘Itys’. They are:

Security: What’s needed to ensure any sensitive information your software collects from users is protected. 

Capacity: Your product’s current and future storage needs, including a plan for how your system will scale up for increasing volume demands.

Compatibility: The minimum hardware requirements for your software, such as support for operating systems and their versions. 

Reliability and availability: How often you expect users to be using your software and what the critical failure time is under normal usage. 

Scalability: The highest workloads under which your system will still perform as expected. 

Maintainability: How your application should use continuous integration so you can quickly deploy features and bug fixes. 

Usability: How easy it is to use the product. 

Other common types of non-functional requirements include performance, regulatory, and environmental requirements. 

Software requirement document template

Ready to start your own software-development venture? Our SRS template outlines all four key components of a great SRS document, giving you and your team valuable insight into the product you will develop. Remember to keep your requirements detailed, clear, and concise, so all parties have the same vision in mind.

Best practices for writing an SRS document

The purpose of an SRS is to keep each team in every department working towards a clear goal. That being said, there are a few best practices to follow to ensure your SRS serves its purpose.

Enrich your SRS with visuals

Including visuals like diagrams, schemes, and models will help team members better understand the process. These are especially useful when illustrating the main functions and operability of your software. 

One technique to try while brainstorming your project is mind mapping, which organizes ideas, features, and scenarios and draws the connections between them. Create a mind map to structure random thoughts as you begin to piece together your ideas. This visual doesn’t need to be super detailed—that’s what your SRS is for. Instead, focus on the key functions of your software and how they relate to one another.

Keep it clear and concise

The last thing you want is your developers second-guessing themselves when constructing your product. Try not to leave room for team members to get creative and fill in the blanks. Include as much detail as possible when describing your software requirements, and avoid:

Using vague words like generally or approximately

Combining terms with a “/”, which could be interpreted as “and” or “or”

Using complicated boundary values

Using double and triple negatives

A formal peer review is a good way to pinpoint ambiguities in your SRS document. Plan to go over it with each participant to compare his or her understanding of the requirements and make the necessary changes. 

Know your end-user

Add your field research and user interviews in the SRS to construct a clear understanding of your end-users requirements, expectations, and needs. This should help you visualize the operations your end-user will perform with the software. Take into account every possible scenario and nuance that could happen and include it in your SRS. Remember, your developers will implement exactly what you include in the document—no more, no less. 

Include a margin for flexibility

Your SRS is a living document, meaning you will add new features and modifications with every iteration. Account for that by keeping requirements flexible in case the outcome doesn’t meet your expectations. It’s also good practice to keep a record of the changes made to the document to avoid any misunderstandings. Participants should be able to trace each requirement to its original and see who makes the change, when, and why. 

Use software requirement documents to clarify your vision

Writing an SRS is not easy—but neither is endless troubleshooting or navigating arguments amongst your team members. The work you put into a comprehensive software requirement specifications document will pay off with a stunning product you and your stakeholders can be proud of.

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Library Management System Capstone Project Document

The target of this project is to develop a utility that may automate the entire process of a library. The software program that may be developed ought to have services like Add / Delete Members, Add / Delete Books, Difficulty & Return. The application should be secured, in addition to with restricted entry.

The main requirement of the project would be the ease of use, moreover being probably the most environmentally friendly and efficient device for the aim. The application should be user-friendly. It ought to be sturdy and scalable.

An automatic solution can be very helpful to the group, as it will deliver construction to the entire course in order that it may be traced for any type of question. Additionally, an automated solution will result in optimum utilization of the available resources, lowering duplication of effort, growing effectivity and minimizing time-delays.

Following are the main objectives of computerization:

• To offer services to all the workers for the problem, return & search and so on.at one place.
• To enhance coordination in staff.
• To reduce paper filling work
• To reduce the risk of fraud.
• To reduce the chances of information leaking.
• Facility for SEARCH of Books based on Accession Number, Title, Author, Subject, Keyword.
• Facility for ISSUE / RETURN Books.
• Facility for RENEWAL of Books.

For Library Staff

• Automatic installation
• Simple and intuitive GUI for performing all functions
• Short-cut keys and point-and-click operation.
• Security features like access control using passwords and login-i.d.
• Automatic calculation of late-fee.
• Facility to ADD / DELETE Members, Library Staff & Books and Maintain an easy record of all these.

Problems With The Current System

• Issue / Return a book from/to the library is a cumbersome process. Various details need to be remembered by the staff members. It is very difficult to keep a track of all the members/books manually.
• Maintenance of the record of each member/book is a very tedious job. A large number of human efforts are required to keep a track of members who have issued a book, who has returned a book and which book is issued/returned.
• Modifying the details of members or books is a very tedious job if done manually.

The benefits of the proposed software are as follow:

Reliability

The application would efficiently store all the information related to the various processes in the system and output the relevant information.

Availability

The appliance could be available to all the staff of the organizations with an authorized entry to the workstations and people who are subject to the authorization permissions.

The system would have ample safety checking by means of the authentication of the users. The reports would solely be available to the staff of the library as per their particular requirements.

Cost Reduction

It can be achieved by minimizing the use of the stationary for reports. Soft copy of all the reports. Soft copy of all the reports can be viewed and hence reducing the need for the hard copy.

Project Management System

Project management involves the planning, monitoring, and control of the people, process, and events that occur as software evolves from a preliminary concept to an operational implementation. Effective software project management focuses on the four principles: people, product, process, and project.

Software engineering institute has developed a people management capability maturity model (PM-CMM). The people management maturity model defines the key practice areas for software people like recruiting, selection, performance management, training, compensation, carrier development, organization, and work design, and team/culture development.

The product

Before a project can be planned, product objectives and scope should be established, alternative solutions should be considered and technical and management constraints should be identified. Scope identifies the primary data, functions, and behaviors that characterize the product.

The process

A software process provides the framework from which a comprehensive plan for   Software development can be established.

Framework activities –  are populated with tasks, milestones, work products, and Quality assurance points. These activities characterize the software product and the project team.

Umbrella activities –  i.e. software quality assurance, software configuration management, and measurement overlay the process model.

The project

Planned and controlled software projects are conducted to manage complexity. To avoid project failure, the project manager must avoid a set of common warning signs, understand critical success factors and develop a common sense approach for planning, monitoring and controlling the project.

Software Process Model

A process model for software engineering is chosen based upon:-

• Nature of the Project.
• Methods and Tools to be used.
• Control and desired deliverables.

The process model, we have chosen to develop this software is a Linear Sequential Model

Linear Sequential Model suggests a systematic, sequential approach to software development that begins at the system level and progresses through analysis, design, coding, testing, and support.

Linear Sequential Model approach has the following phases:-

Software requirements analysis

In this, software engineer understands the nature of a program to be built, he must understand the information domain for the software as well as the required function, behavior, performance and interface. Requirements for both the system and the software are documented and reviewed with the customer.

It has four distinct attributes of a program: data structure, software architecture, interface representations, and procedural detail. It is documented and becomes part of the software.

Code generation

The design must be translated into a machine-readable form which is done by code generation.

It focuses on the logical internals of the software, ensuring that all the statements have been tested, and on the functional externals; that is conducting a test to uncover errors and ensure that defined input will produce actual results.

The Software model used is LINEAR SEQUENTIAL MODEL because of the following reasons:-

• The project being small demands a systematic and sequential approach to software development i.e. system engineering, software requirement analysis, design, code generation, testing, and support occur in sequence.
• All requirements for the project have been explicitly stated at the beginning. There is a very little scope of customers’ deviation from current requirements, coding, and testing after detailed analysis are much easy.
• The structure is less complex and less innovative with less need for iteration.

This is a phase when software will undoubtedly undergo changes after it is delivered to the customer. The change will occur because errors have been encountered because the software must be adapted to accommodate changes in its external environment, or because the customer requires functional or performance enhancements. Software support/maintenance reapplies each of the preceding phases to an existing program rather than a new one.

Team Structure

The “best” team structure depends on:-

• The management style of the organization.
• The number of people who will populate the team and their skill levels, and
• The overall problem difficulty.

The three generic team organizations are:

Democratic decentralized (DD)

This software engineering team has no permanent leader. Process coordinators are appointed for a brief period after which changed by others who might coordinate completely different duties. Communication amongst team members is horizontal.

Controlled decentralized (CD)

This software engineering team has a defined leader who coordinates specific tasks and secondary leaders that have responsibility for subtasks. Problem-solving stays a group activity. Communication amongst subgroups and individual is horizontal.

  Controlled centralized (CC)

Top- level problem solving and internal team coordination is managed by a team leader. Communication between the leader and team members is vertical .

The team structure used in our project is DEMOCRATIC DECENTRALISED . The team comprises of two members:-

• Shobhna(7840)
• Megha Jain(7837)

Decentralized teams generate better options and have a larger probability of success when engaged in completely different issues. DD team construction is greatest applies to applications with low modularity.

Based on the difficulty of the problem to be solved relatively low modularity of the project and high volume of the communication required a democratic decentralized team structure is proposed. This software engineering team has no permanent leader. Rather, “activity coordinators are appointed for a brief period after which changed by others who might coordinate completely different duties.” Problem-solving is a group activity. Communication among team members is horizontal. The decentralized team generates more and better solutions than individuals. Therefore such teams have a greater probability of success when working on difficult problems.

A decentralized structure can be applied to both simple and difficult problems, but it is best applied in case of difficult problems. These team structures result in high morale, therefore good for teams that will be together for a long time. The decentralized team structure is best applied to the problem with relatively low modularity because of the higher volume of communication needed. These teams require more time to complete a project and at the same time be best when high sociability is required. In these teams, team members have trust in each other, distribution of skills must be appropriate to the problem and they share a common goal.

Software Project Scheduling

WHAT IS IT?

Software program Scheduling is an activity that distributes estimated effort throughout the deliberate mission by allocating the trouble to a particular software program engineering duties.

If you develop a schedule, compartmentalize the work, characterize the duty interdependencies, allocate time and effort to every job, defined duties for the work to be achieved, and defined outcomes and milestones.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

With a view to constructing a fancy system, many software program engineering duties happen in parallel, and the results of work carried out throughout one job could have a profound impact on work to be performed in one other job. These interdependencies are very obscure without a schedule. It’s additionally just about inconceivable to progress on an average or giant software program mission without a detailed schedule.

Timeline Chart

Introduction

When creating a software project schedule, the planner begins with a set of tasks. If automated tools are used, the work breakdown is input as a task network or task outline. Effort, duration and start date are then input for each task outline. In addition, tasks may be assigned to specific individuals.

As a consequence of this input, a Timeline Chart is generated. It enables you to determine what tasks will be conducted at a given point in time.

Risk Analysis & Management

Risk analysis and management are a series of steps that help a software team to understand and manage uncertainty. Many issues can plague a software project, a danger is a possible downside which may occur or may not.

Risk Identification

This is the first step for recognizing what can go wrong.

Next, every risk is analyzed to find out the probability that it’ll happen and the harm that it’ll do if it does happen. As soon as this data is established, risks are ranked by their chance and impression. Lastly, a plan is developed to handle these risks with excessive chance and impression.

It’s Work Product

Risk mitigation, monitoring, and management (RMMM) plan or a set of risk information sheets are produced.

Categories Of Risk

Project Risks

They threaten the project plan. They establish potential budgetary, schedule, personnel, useful resource, customized potential, and necessities drawback and there influence on a software program project. They could end in a delay in project schedule and cost.

Technical Risks

They establish potential design, implementation, interface verification, and maintenance. They threaten the standard and timeliness of software program.

Business Risks

They often jeopardize the project or the product & include market risk, strategic risk, management risk, and budget risk.

Risk Mitigation Plan

All risk analysis activities presented to this point have a single goal to assist the project team in developing a strategy for dealing with risk.

• Risk avoidance
• Risk monitoring
• Risk management and contingency planning

Steps taken are:

• Meet with current staff and check cause for problems
• Mitigate causes which are under control before the project starts
• Presume turnover will occur develop plans
• Conduct peer reviews

Risk Strategies

A Reactive Strategy monitors the risk project for likely risk and set aside resources to deal with them, should they become actual problems. Software team does nothing about risks until something goes wrong.

The proactive strategy begins long before technical work is initiated. Potential risks are identified, their probability impact is assessed, and they are ranked by importance.

Complexity Table

Input Screen

Output Screen

Query Screen

FPA Calculation

Unadjusted Functional Point Calculation

Function Point Calculation

FP= UFP * ( 0.65 + 0.01 * å F i )

= 82 * ( 0.65 + 0.01 * 42)

= 82 * 1.07

Requirement Analysis & Management

This is the process of deriving system requirements through observation of the existing system, discussions with potential users, task analysis and so on. This may involve the development of one or more different system model. These help the analyst to understand the system to be more specific.

Requirement Analysis

Requirement analysis is a software engineering task that bridges the gap between system level requirements engineering and software design.

The software requirements analysis may be divided into five areas of efforts :-

Problem recognition

Recognition of basic problem elements as perceived by the users.

Evaluation and synthesis

Define all data objects, evaluate the flow and content of information, define and elaborate all functions, understand software behavior and establish interface characteristics.

Functional models represent the information that software transforms, functions enabling the transformation, and behavior of the system during transformation.

Specification

States the goals and objectives of the software, describing it in context of the

Computer-based system.

Changes to the specification may be recommended.

Analysis Principles

• The information domain of a problem must be represented and understood.
• The functions to be performed by software must be defined.
• The behavior of the software must be represented.
• The models that depict information function and behavior must be partitioned in a manner that uncovers detail in a layered fashion.
• The analysis process should move from essential information towards implementation detail.

Non-Functional Requirements

(1) The server must have enough disk space so as to store a large amount of data.

(2) The system should provide data security. Unauthorized users should not be allowed to access the system so that the integrity and secrecy of each client must be maintained.

(3) A network operating system that can support the software.

Functional Requirements

(1) The system must be easy to learn and easy to use so that it is readily accepted by its prospective users. It must provide easy and convenient means of communication between different clients.

(2) It should synchronize the access of channels to clients. No two clients should be allowed to transmit data simultaneously.

(3) It must detect collisions and recover lost messages.

(4) The client should not be allowed to run while the server is not running.

(5) It must handle exceptional conditions appropriately and efficiently.

(6) Appropriate error messages should be generated in case some exception has occurred.

(7) It must support client-to-client communication as well as broadcasting.

(8) The system must be fault tolerant i.e. it can continue in operation even after some system failure has occurred.

Data Dictionary

Entity Relationship and Data Flow Diagram

Design Concepts & Principles

The design is a meaningful engineering representation of something that is to be built. It can be traced to customer’s requirements and at the same time assessed for good quality against a set of predefined criteria for a “Good Design”.

Software Design is applied regardless of the software process model that is used. Once software requirements have been analyzed and specified, software design is the first of three technical activities – design, code generation, and test – that are required to build and verify the software.

The design focuses on four major areas of concern: data, architecture, interfaces, and components.

Component Level Design

It transforms structural elements of software architecture into a procedural description of software components.

Interface Design

It describes how the software communicates within itself, with systems that interoperate with it, and with the users who use it.

Architectural Design  

It defines the relationship between major structural elements of the software.

Data Design        

It transforms the information domain model created during analysis into the data structures that will be required to implement the software.

Design Model

Database Design

Issue / Return

Member’s Record

Library Staff

Pseudo Code

Login Screen

This screen takes the unique login-id & password of the library staff member allowing him/her to use the system at his/her level of interference.

Menu Screen

This screen asks the library staff member to input the choice of tasks he/she wants to perform. Choices include- Add/Delete a member, Add/Delete a book, Search for a member/book, Check the details of a particular member/book, Issue/Return a book etc.

Add a new member

This screen takes the details of the new member to be added from the library staff & then accepts the new member as a part of the library unless & until some fields are not left empty or are given invalid inputs. Details include- Name, Father’s name, Mother’s name, Sex, Address, Phone No., College code, Year of joining/Admission, Status in the college (whether Student or Teacher), Course etc.

Delete a member

This screen takes the member’s id of the member to be deleted as the input from the library staff & then deletes the member from the library records unless an invalid member id is not entered by the staff member.

Add a new book

This screen takes the details of the new book to be added from the library staff & then makes the new book available for Issue/Return unless & until some fields are not left empty or are given invalid inputs. Details include- Name, Author’s name, Publisher’s name, Edition, No. of copies, Price per copy, Acc. No., Subject etc.

Delete a book

This screen takes the Acc. No. of the book to be deleted as the input from the library staff & then deletes the book from the library records unless an invalid Acc. No. is not entered by the staff member. The book deleted no longer remains available for Issue/return purposes.

Search for a member

This screen takes some description about the member to be searched according to the method of searching chosen by the library staff member. The methods of searching include- Search by name, by course, by member id etc. The records found are displayed on the same screen (if they really exist). This screen also allows the staff member to select a name from the records found & then check the details of the member directly from here.

Check member details

This screen takes the member id as the input from the library staff member & then searches for the member among a list of members and then displays the full details of the member searched if a valid member id is provided as the input. This screen also allows the library staff to issue this member a book directly from this screen as the staff member doesn’t need to enter the member id while issuing the book. The book is issued unless the member’s account is not full (max. of 5 books is taken as an assumption) or an invalid Acc. No. is not added.

Search for a book

This screen takes some description about the book to be searched according to the method of searching chosen by the library staff member. The methods of searching include- Search by name, by subject, by author etc. The records found are displayed on the same screen (if they really exist). This screen also allows the staff member to select a book from the records found & then check the details of the book directly from here.

Checkbook detail

This screen takes the Acc. No. as the input from the library staff member & then searches for the book among a list of books and then displays the full details of the book searched if a valid Acc. No. is provided as the input. This screen also allows the library staff to issue this book directly to a member from this screen as the staff member doesn’t need to enter the Acc. No. while issuing the book. The book is issued unless the member’s account is not full (max. of 5 books is taken as an assumption) or an invalid member id is not added.

This screen takes member id, Acc. No., Date of issue, Date of return from the library staff & then issues the selected book the member unless an invalid member id or Acc. No. is not entered by the staff member or the member’s account is not full (max. of 5books is taken as an assumption) or else the book is not already issued to some other member.

This screen takes the member id, Acc. No. as the input from the library staff & then displays the details of the book. The details include- Date of issue, Date of return. Date of actual return is entered by the staff member & the fine is calculated if the Actual date of return is later than the Date of return specified to the member. The book is then deleted from the member’s account when all dues are cleared and it is again available for issue/return purposes.

Architectural Design

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Capstone Project Requirement

Capstone project policy.

Fletcher students complete a capstone project during their final year for students in 2-year programs or their final semester for students in 1-year programs. The capstone project must evidence scholarly and/or professional analysis informed by the sustained and appropriate application of analytical methodologies. The capstone project is a significant analytical piece of work. It represents work of a higher standard than what is normally expected of a term paper and provides an opportunity for students to draw on their methodological, analytical, and substantive learning in a comprehensive written study.

While all capstone projects build on significant analytical work, the specific form of the final project can differ widely. Students and faculty may choose different forms in pursuit of their pedagogical aims or a student's professional goals. Students create an agreement with the supervising faculty in the semester before enrollment that outlines the expectations the capstone project.

The detailed requirements for any capstone project are determined by the supervising faculty member and can take a wide range of forms, including but not limited:

• A traditional academic research thesis (note that students who intend to apply to the PhD program must choose a traditional academic research thesis for the capstone project).
• A policy paper (whether for a government, an NGO or an international organization, whether or not for a real client)
• An operational plan (in development, in business, in public diplomacy, etc.)
• A case study
• A business plan

Capstone Course

All students will be enrolled in the non-credit capstone course in either their third or final semester. Completion of this course with a letter grade is required to graduate. Capstone may not be taken pass/fail or for audit.

Capstone Agreement Form

In the semester prior to enrollment, students work with the supervising faculty member to create a capstone agreement. This may include the scope of the capstone project, timelines, frequency of check-ins, work submitted, and criteria for grading. 

Once the student and the faculty have an agreement in place, the students completes the  Capstone Agreement Form , which is submitted to Registrar's office. The supervising faculty member's endorsement of the agreement will be verified. The capstone supervisor must be a Fletcher faculty member. The Capstone Agreement Form is due Mar 18 and should only be submitted with a complete agreement in place.

Students who do not have a capstone agreement in place by the deadline may be assigned a faculty capstone supervisor.

Completed Capstone Project

Upon completion of the capstone project, students may  submit the title page  to the Registrar's office in order to add the capstone to their transcript. A final grade is submitted by the supervising faculty in SIS to indicate the degree requirement is satisfied.

Your Capstone Project Title Page should contain the following information:

(MALD, MA, MIB, or LL.M.) CAPSTONE

SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR(S)

(SEMESTER, YEAR)

NAME OF STUDENT

In (partial) or (full) fulfillment of the (MALD, MA, MIB, or LLM) Capstone requirement

(DATE OF SUBMISSION)

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

All members of the Fletcher community who are dealing with human subject data or who are observing or interviewing human subjects for a thesis, dissertation, or other research project need approval from the Uni¬versity’s Social, Behavioral & Educational Research Institutional Review Board (SBER IRB). The SBER IRB is a panel of Tufts faculty, staff, and community members that reviews all human subject research to ensure the safety and welfare of research participants. The IRB ensures that any research study under its jurisdiction complies with federal, state, and institutional regulations.

Only the IRB has the authority to determine what level of review is appropriate for research conducted by Fletcher students. Students working on a thesis, dissertation, or others significant research project must submit for IRB review of their methodology and research protocols and complete the CITI training. Students may request a formal determination of Not Research or Not Human Subjects Research through the SBER IRB office.

Please go to http://viceprovost.tufts.edu/sberirb/ for more information on your need for going through the IRB process, forms, and deadlines.

What Is a Capstone Project in University?

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Importance of Capstone Courses

Characteristics of capstone projects, capstone project vs. capstone course, examples across various majors, capstone project process, benefits for students, challenges and tips, frequently asked questions about capstone in university.

Confused with the concept of a capstone project ? As you approach your senior year, you might be hearing about this culmination project—whether a research endeavor, final paper, application, or portfolio— this academic endeavor aims to showcase the depth of your learning throughout your college years and prepares you for the professional world.

 In this blog post, I will explore what it means, how to prepare for it, and how you can bring this academic achievement to life. I'll guide you through this process, ensuring you have the support and resources you need. With the right guidance and understanding, you can transform this challenging task into an opportunity for growth and real-world application.

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Capstone courses are part of university curricula and are strategically designed to prepare students for a seamless transition from academia to the workforce. They may include research endeavors and theses. However, each has a distinct focus and purpose.

These projects often highlight practical applications and skill enrichment, making them more aligned with professional practice (often done as a group project).

On the other hand, research and theses contribute to the academic body of knowledge, delving deeper into theoretical aspects. Bridging this knowledge gap is essential to empowering students with the understanding needed to make informed decisions about their final-year assessments.

In a broader context, a capstone project is designed to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical application. It provides a platform to reflect on academic journeys, apply acquired knowledge to real-world scenarios, and develop problem-solving skills. By addressing tangible challenges, learners enhance their readiness for the professional world.

The benefits of capstone projects extend beyond academic prowess. They empower students to navigate complex, work-related issues, through practical experience and fostering a deeper understanding on a particular subject.

This synthesis of knowledge and practical application enriches the graduate student's educational experience and typically involves graduates with a skill set essential for success in their higher education.

Although the terms "capstone project" and "capstone course" are often used interchangeably, it's necessary to understand their differences:

A  capstone project   is an independent assignment that encapsulates students' academic learning and demonstrates their proficiency in a specific discipline or field.

The focus is on individual research, problem-solving, or creative endeavors, providing a medium to demonstrate the knowledge acquired as students finish their studies. A capstone project is part of a course (think of it as a final assignment).

A  capstone course   contains a broader coursework and educational experience. It is an entire course (like any other) in which students incorporate and apply their knowledge gained throughout a program. It often requires students to collaborate on projects, engage in discussions, and participate in various activities. It can take longer to complete and varies depending on the institution. 

Students across different degree programs engage in multifaceted capstone experiences at the end of their college careers. These experiences can vary widely, from individual research to collaborative group endeavors, reflecting the essence of their academic achievements.

For example, in fields such as political science, students may delve into a senior thesis, conducting extensive research and showcasing their critical thinking skills.

Alternatively, within literature courses, the last capstone course may involve a comprehensive literature review, illustrating the culmination of knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course of the degree program.

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Many capstone courses extend beyond conventional research papers, requiring you to work on a final project addressing a real-world problem. This collaborative effort and practical method, which can be conducted in small groups, emphasizes teamwork, a significant amount of research, and a strong work ethic (fundamental skills that prepare students for the workplace).

In addition to meeting the degree program and requirements, these capstone experiences often involve a final exhibition, allowing students to present and demonstrate their problem statement to professors, other students, peers, and sometimes even external stakeholders.

A capstone course experience serves as a bridge to graduate degrees or even doctorates, honing research capabilities that are essential for success and develop the necessary skills for potential employers.

As Jolanta Burke and Majella Dempsey highlight in their Practical Guide for Students Book , commencing a capstone project is like constructing a house:

Firstly, you must establish solid foundations, much like a house, ensuring reliability. Then, continue learning and enhancing your skills to build it. Once armed with the necessary skills and information, the next step is to decide on the materials, devise a plan of action, and follow through until the house—your project—is complete and ready for use.

Just as a house requires a robust foundation, a capstone project initiates with meticulous planning. This phase encompasses defining content, goals, and methodologies, ensuring the project demonstrates most capstone courses.

For instance, if your project revolves around human-centered design, identify a problem, such as a shortage of shelters in a city, and conduct research. Then, the person and approach to solving this problem should be determined, perhaps by studying the owner of an existing shelter and identifying gaps in current approaches.

While delving into extensive research, it's crucial for students to hone academic capabilities by studying other courses and examining what has already been done about the specific problem. Seeking input from people, professors, and TAs are invaluable. Once enough material, like a literature review or interviews, is gathered, present it to your professor for feedback before progressing.

Pre-Execution

Jus like choosing construction materials for a house, students must decide on materials and formulate a detailed action plan, meeting degree or course requirements. This phase demands careful consideration of methodologies and strategies, emphasizing material determination—whether it's an app, a history psychology project, or any other course. Craft a structured plan and present it as a proposal before delving deeper into the subject.

The final stage involves executing the plan and completing the project, demonstrating the capstone experience. The research project needs to be prepared for use, showcasing the culmination of efforts.

Presentation

The presentation serves as the grand reveal of the completed project. A well-structured project and a compelling pitch, typically required, is essential to demonstrate its readiness for use.

This approach ensures a seamless transition from planning to execution, essential for success in capstone courses and the culmination of their academic journey.

The preparatory nature of these projects makes students discover what they enjoy the most, what comes easily, and the potential to find areas of improvement. The benefits are crucial for student' personal and professional development, providing a real connection between academic knowledge and real-world application.

Gaining Skills and Experiences

Capstone projects showcase the skills and experiences accumulated throughout a student's educational journey. From research prowess to critical thinking and effective communication, the project culminates in these proficiencies, bringing them to the student's forefront.

Practical Transition to the Next Phase

Capstone projects are vital in preparing students to transition to the professional world or advance in academic pursuits. It's a practical initiation into college career, familiarizing students with the challenges and responsibilities they'll encounter in their future careers or advanced degrees at other schools.

Initiation of Work or Advanced Studies

Working on a capstone project program allows students to navigate the complexities they'll encounter in their chosen field. This experiential learning program equips them with valuable insights and the confidence and adaptability required to transition to the professional world or pursue advanced degrees.

Holistic Development for Future Success

Capstone projects contribute significantly to students' and major programs' holistic development, ensuring they are academically qualified and possess the practical skills demanded by prospective employers for their future endeavors.

Here are some potential burdens and some capstone journey strategies that have helped me throughout my projects during school.

Choosing a Subject:

• Challenge:  Defining the size of your capstone project can be daunting. I recommend balancing ambition with feasibility. For example, if you are trying to help dog shelters, maybe focus on how to prevent owners from abandoning them by educating dog owners. In the case of a more research-based project, look at the literature review of your research focus and build upon what has already been investigated.
• Strategy:  Begin with a clear project scope and revisit the risks regularly. Prioritize key objectives to avoid complicating your project, and focus on a single issue .

Time Management:

• Challenge:  Capstone projects often overlap with other academic commitments. Time management becomes paramount.
• Strategy:  Create a detailed timeline, allocating specific tasks to manageable time frames. Regularly reassess and adjust as needed.

Research Roadblocks:

• Challenge:  Conducting extensive research may lead to information overload or difficulty finding relevant sources.
• Strategy:  Define research questions early. What is the project doing? For whom? In what builds upon? Utilize academic databases and seek guidance from mentors for targeted resource discovery.

Team Dynamics (if applicable):

• Challenge:  Group projects may need help coordinating schedules, differing work styles, or conflicting ideas.
• Strategy:  Establish clear communication channels, set expectations from the beginning, and address conflicts promptly.

What exactly is a capstone project?

A capstone project is a culmination endeavor in your last year of college. This final assignment showcases the knowledge you acquired throughout your college years. It's a bridge between academia and the professional world, demonstrating the complete scope of your learning.

How do capstone courses differ from capstone projects?

A capstone project is an independent culminating assignment reflecting academic individual proficiency. On the other hand, a capstone course is an entire academic course that may involve collaborative projects, discussions, diverse activities, and presentations.

What are the benefits and challenges of capstone projects?

Capstone projects offer transformative experiences, unveiling skills and experiences gained through academic years. The benefits include skill refinement, self-discovery, and a practical transition to the professional realm.

However, challenges such as choosing a subject, time management, research roadblocks, and team dynamics may arise. Strategies like clear project scoping, time management, focused research questions, and effective team communication can help overcome these challenges.

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