Supporting the Dynamic Reprioritization of Requirements in Agile Development of Software Products

Abstract

Agile requirements engineering is the approach of choice for many software producers whose realities include highly uncertain requirements, use of new development technology, and clients willing to explore the ways in which an evolving product can help their business goals. From customer's perspective, the activity of continuous requirements reprioritization forms the very core of today's agile approaches. However, the freedom for clients to do so does not come for free. This paper presents results of a literature review on agile requirements prioritization methods, derives a conceptual model for understanding the inter-iteration prioritization process in terms of inputs and outcomes, and identifies issues and solutions pertinent to agile prioritization. The latter are derived from the authors' experiences and by using empirical data, published earlier by other authors.