Traceability

Another key area closely related to requirements management is change control. When a requirement evolves, what needs to be modified? What other elements need to change? How significant are the changes? To deal with these questions and manage change as efficiently as possible, traceability is the answer.

Traceability can be defined as the relationship between a requirement and any other element which figures in the project. Traceability links can be defined between different kinds of requirements and between requirements in different requirement containers, as well as between requirements and model elements.

Traceability links between requirements and other elements allow users to:

· identify where a particular requirement is implemented

· identify all the project elements which might be affected by a specific change

· support project maintenance

· uncover the history of every project feature

· ensure that no requirements are overlooked during implementation

Traceability is vitally important to the success of any requirements management process.