A successful software project starts off well with an inventory of the actual demand: what should the product be able to do in general? Avisi addresses this question with a Software Requirements Sprint: a one to two-day session for functional inventory and determining an MVP (minimal viable product).
The Software Requirements Sprint consists of a session with one or more product or domain specialists, a software engineer and requirements engineers. A requirements engineer leads the session, guiding all participants in systematically breaking down the product into user stories: an easily understandable functional description of the product. The end result of the Software Requirements Sprint is a visualised book that includes:
- Context and vision: The context and vision describe the environment in which the software solution provides value. The vision clarifies the long-term goals, providing frameworks and direction for future steps.
- Stakeholders: A fictitious world view includes the defined stakeholders: a shared understanding of stakeholders meant for discussion, as well as build and test activities. Realistic (yet fictional) personas are succinctly described.
- User story map: A user story map presents a transparent overview of the desired features (product backlog). The user story map indicates which user stories belong to which milestone. The user story map also includes the stakeholders again, along with the desired functionality per stakeholder.
- Technical system overview & prerequisites: The initial version of a technical system overview can be found in the elaboration. The combination of desired functionality, connections with external systems, and non-functional aspects, determines the software architecture.
- Roadmap & cost estimation: Lastly, the roadmap and associated cost estimation. The roadmap includes priorities: which functionalities or components are scheduled with what priority in the plan. Additionally, the roadmap includes activities to address (technical) risks, for example, through a Proof of Concept. The cost estimation provides insight into the required time and financial investment, estimating the first steps on the established roadmap.