An analytical model for requirements activities and software product quality

The quality of software is a real concern that can be seen in almost any organization where software results contribute to success. However, a gap is perceived in the efforts that have being carried out to improve the software quality. System requirements are recognized as a critical step in the development of quality software. Being the first step in the process of software engineering, the effort has potential to shape the direction for all subsequent software development project activities. In this paper, the researcher analyzes the effects of requirements uncertainty and task uncertainty on outcomes in software development projects, limiting the attention to quality of software product. A cross-sectional survey of one hundred and twenty-Three participants in thirty-four organizations was employed to prove the research model. The findings were drawn from an examination of the research propositions. Analyzed data provided evidence of a significant negative association between requirements uncertainty and software product quality. Moreover, the data provided evidence of a negative significant association between task uncertainty and software product quality. Furthermore, requirements uncertainty and task uncertainty do not interact with one another to influence the software development outcomes. This means that requirements uncertainty and task uncertainty act independently of each other. © 2006 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.