Making Sense of Software Product Requirements
Jantunen, Sami (2012-06-06)
Väitöskirja
Jantunen, Sami
06.06.2012
Lappeenranta University of Technology
Acta Universitatis Lappeenrantaensis
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-265-218-8
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-265-218-8
Tiivistelmä
One of the most crucial tasks for a company offering a software product is to decide
what new features should be implemented in the product’s forthcoming versions. Yet,
existing studies show that this is also a task with which many companies are
struggling. This problem has been claimed to be ambiguous and changing. There are
better or worse solutions to the problem, but no optimal one. Furthermore, the criteria
determining the success of the solution keeps changing due to continuously changing
competition, technologies and market needs.
This thesis seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that companies
have reportedly faced in determining the requirements for their forthcoming product
versions. To this end, product management related activities are explored in seven
companies. Following grounded theory approach, the thesis conducts four iterations
of data analysis, where each of the iterations goes beyond the previous one. The thesis
results in a theory proposal intended to 1) describe the essential characteristics of
organizations’ product management challenges, 2) explain the origins of the perceived
challenges and 3) suggest strategies to alleviate the perceived challenges.
The thesis concludes that current product management approaches are becoming
inadequate to deal with challenges that have multiple and conflicting interpretations,
different value orientations, unclear goals, contradictions and paradoxes. This
inadequacy continues to increase until current beliefs and assumptions about the
product management challenges are questioned and a new paradigm for dealing with
the challenges is adopted.
what new features should be implemented in the product’s forthcoming versions. Yet,
existing studies show that this is also a task with which many companies are
struggling. This problem has been claimed to be ambiguous and changing. There are
better or worse solutions to the problem, but no optimal one. Furthermore, the criteria
determining the success of the solution keeps changing due to continuously changing
competition, technologies and market needs.
This thesis seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that companies
have reportedly faced in determining the requirements for their forthcoming product
versions. To this end, product management related activities are explored in seven
companies. Following grounded theory approach, the thesis conducts four iterations
of data analysis, where each of the iterations goes beyond the previous one. The thesis
results in a theory proposal intended to 1) describe the essential characteristics of
organizations’ product management challenges, 2) explain the origins of the perceived
challenges and 3) suggest strategies to alleviate the perceived challenges.
The thesis concludes that current product management approaches are becoming
inadequate to deal with challenges that have multiple and conflicting interpretations,
different value orientations, unclear goals, contradictions and paradoxes. This
inadequacy continues to increase until current beliefs and assumptions about the
product management challenges are questioned and a new paradigm for dealing with
the challenges is adopted.
Kokoelmat
- Väitöskirjat [986]