Software Requirement Identification System for Architectural Impact Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

The high cost of software development is attributed to inadequate documentation of customer requirements, particularly the failure to identify architecturally significant functional requirements early in the project lifecycle, leading to costly rework due to the separation of knowledge banks for functional and architectural solutions.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that automatically identifies architecturally significant functional requirements from functional requirements using keywords and phrases learned during training, classifies them, generates a meta schema, and recommends probing questions and architectural solutions based on the generated schema.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If functional requirements are collected and documented by business analysts separately from architectural solutions identified by technology experts, then functional requirements can be captured from customers, but the architectural impact of functional requirements cannot be identified early in the project lifecycle

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvearchitectural impact informationVSAvoidseparation of knowledge banks

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the separate knowledge banks for functional requirements and architectural solutions by integrating business analyst inputs with technology expert knowledge in a unified software development environment, allowing architectural impact to be identified alongside functional requirements collection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary system that acts as a bridge between business analysts and technology experts, using machine learning models to automatically analyze functional requirements and identify their architectural impact, thereby connecting the previously separate knowledge domains

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If business analysts collect functional requirements without technical knowledge, then customer requirements can be captured, but the architectural significance of requirements cannot be inferred or articulated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverequirement collection processVSAvoidarchitectural impact identification

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service by allowing business analysts to collect functional requirements without requiring them to possess deep technical knowledge, as the machine learning model automatically performs the architectural impact analysis that would otherwise require expert intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of expert human analysis with an automated machine learning-based system that uses natural language processing and classification algorithms to identify architectural impact, thereby substituting human expert mechanics with computational mechanics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If architecturally significant functional requirements are not identified early in the project lifecycle, then development can proceed with available information, but costly rework occurs at later stages

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesoftware development efficiencyVSAvoidcostly rework

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by automatically identifying and flagging architecturally significant functional requirements during the early requirement collection phase, before detailed design and implementation begin, thereby preventing costly rework at later stages

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by proactively identifying potential architectural issues through automated analysis of functional requirements and taking corrective action by alerting stakeholders before these issues manifest as problems during implementation or testing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS10095478B2Computer implemented system and method for identifying project requirements

Publication Date: 2018.10.09 TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LTD

AI summary

A system(s) and method(s) for identifying project requirement are described herein. The system identifies the architecturally significant functional requirements from the functional requirements from a client/customer. The system further classifies the identified architecturally significant functional requirements into specific classes based on the architectural impact they may have on the project. Subsequently, the system generates a meta schema related to architecturally significant functional requirements based on the classification of architecturally significant functional requirements and pre-defined schema. Thereafter, system recommends the specific probing questions from the bank of probing questions to unearth unspecified or underspecified architecturally relevant information based on the generated meta schema. The system further recommends architectural solutions selected from a bank of architectural solutions based on answers received for specific probing questions in response to the architectural impact they may have on the project.