Why Do We Have So Many Disconnected Requirement Tools?
What Are Requirement Tools?
Every company defines, captures, and manages its requirements in one way or another, whether with a formal requirement tool or a more informal method like shared file drives. In companies that have grown through acquisition or allow project teams flexibility in selecting their own requirements approach, the number of requirement tools can be numerous. Based on Siemens’ experience, a dozen or more tools are regularly used in a single company.
While this flexibility drives innovation and adoption, there is a consequence when the requirements need to be used to deliver a single product. Design and development teams must understand and realize the requirements while providing evidence of design completion and satisfaction. Collaboration and coordination are key methods to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page.
Teamcenter Requirements Integrator
Teamcenter is the central trusted location for everyone to access and for design teams to realize them. Teamcenter provides the mechanism to formally manage and collaborate on these requirements regardless of where or how they were authored. In addition, once the requirements are in Teamcenter, they can:
- Collaborate with external customers or suppliers
- Establish traceability to program elements
- Assess the impact of any changes
- Enforce process methodologies through workflows
- Facilitate verification and validation
Teamcenter delivers the solution to coordinate all disconnected requirements through the Teamcenter Requirements Integrator. The integration of many requirement tools can be supported in the following methods:
- One way – to support transfer and change control of data
- Bi-directional – to regularly transfer key information between tools
- Scheduled or manual – provide the method for when to initiate an update
Requirements and Stakeholders
Teamcenter and the Requirements Integrator support numerous integrations to existing tools and the RIF/ReqIF (requirements interchange format) standard. These integrations enable you to bridge the requirements gap between the numerous requirement tools and the necessary stakeholders.
Whether you have 1, 3, 5, or any number of requirement management tools in your organization, Teamcenter provides a solution to collect, organize, and collaborate on all of them. Customers don’t have to decide on a consolidation strategy before earning value from their disconnected requirements. They can start the journey by standardizing how to make them available to the necessary stakeholders throughout the organization.
If you’re interested in learning more about requirement tools or integrated requirements, please follow:
Product Requirements Engineering
What Wheelbarrows and Requirements have in Common
Product Requirements Management Across Domains for the Lifecycle
