On the applicability of BDD in a Business Intelligence project: experience report

Abstract

Behavior-driven development (BDD) is a software development technique that in order to succeed relies heavily on the definition of clear acceptance criteria by software developers in the form of behavioral scenarios, later translated into acceptance tests. The adoption of BDD in Business Intelligence (BI) projects requires developers to have a broad acquaintance to business that often even customers themselves do not possess. This article presents an experience report on the use of BDD in the development of a large public health related BI project. Experience suggests that the use of BDD may not be appropriate for BI projects, especially during the early stages of development, when there is still insufficient clarity about business acceptance criteria. The need for broad maturity towards business understanding makes it complex to adopt the behavioral approach within the development process in projects of this nature.