INCOSE Requirements Management Tools Survey

Please identify which version number (1.0, 3.5 etc.) of the tool this survey refers to. Please respond to each question with a Full, Partial or No Compliance answer. Additional text may be included for further explanation.

Previous responses and summaries can be located at the INCOSE Web site at URL www.incose.org/tools

Using existing document information (such as glossary, index, etc.) aids the user in requirement analysis, identification of requirements, etc.

Full Compliance. RMTrak contains a sample project for reference, an extensive help file for guidance and provides an online knowledge base and overview of the requirements process.

Full Compliance. RMTrak is designed to take full advantage of the Microsoft Word environment. Tracking changes, and comparing and contrasting of documents can be configured to the needs of the user.

A mechanism for automatic identification of requirements by key words, structure, unique identifiers, etc. to create requirements from the text.

Full Compliance. RMTrak facilitates identification and parsing of requirements in a user configurable MS Word format.

The ability to identify requirements from a text file via interactive means such as mouse highlighting of the requirement text or prompting by the system "is this a requirement?".

Full Compliance. The user can designate a requirement manually by visually marking the text within MS Word.

Full Compliance. Requirements are typed into a MS Word document using user configurable formatting.

Full Compliance. The user can work within or without RMTrak when creating and editing documents. RMTrak is designed to augment the existing development process by providing requirements management functionality and reporting. The user can create a new document with MS Word and enter all of their requirements into the document, then add/update the document in the project, which will then add/update the requirements in RMTrak.

Does the tool have the ability to update existing linked documents from new/changed versions of the source documents without having to re-establish traceability links

Full Compliance. The user can manually run the update feature, or RMTrak will prompt the user to run it when it determines that the source-link set has changed. The user does not have to re-import anything.

Does the tool have the ability to classify/categorize requirements during identification?

Full Compliance. Requirements are categorized by requirement type or other user configurable attributes. The requirement types are user defined, as are the features and the feature values that further define the types.

Once the requirements have been captured, the allocation of requirements to sub-system elements takes place. The tool must capture these elements so links/allocations can be made to those sub-systems elements.

Can the tool graphically capture system implementation (such as architecture, functional decomposition, WBS, etc.) and display them graphically such that requirements can be linked to them.

Full Compliance. Any element of a document can be identified as a requirement. In addition, RMTrak provides multiple views (matrix, tree, allocation) to allow the user to access the requirements visually.

Can the tool textually capture system implementation (such as architecture, functional decomposition, WBS, etc.) and display them textually such that requirements can be linked to them.
Full Compliance. The system can be constructed textually or in any other MS Word construct. The resulting requirement is automatically entered into the system as the document is added or updated in the database.

Once the requirements have been captured and system architecture captured, requirements are allocated to the various system elements.

The ability to derive/create additional requirements and link between them such as requirement to requirement, or requirement to text (representing trade studies) to derived requirements.

Full Compliance. Derived requirements are created in MS Word documents and are easily linked to other requirements.

3.2. Allocation of performance requirements to system elements (weight, risk, cost, etc.)

The ability to link performance requirements to system elements such as weight, cost, throughput, etc. This also includes the ability to allocate portions of that performance requirement to system elements.

Full Compliance. The requirements are grouped by requirement type (or any other custom attribute the user defines). The requirement types are user defined and can support any value the user specifies.

The linking of requirements to system elements can be accomplished from either end of the link--from the system element (implementation or test) back to the requirement or from the requirement down to the system element.

3.4. Capture of allocation rationale, accountability, test/validation, criticality, issues, etc.--if so how and what mechanism does it use?

Also critical, is the ability to attach rationale, assignments, criticality, test/validation and many other issues to the requirement, allocation, and the system element to which a requirement is linked.

Full Compliance. RMTrak allows the user to enter notes, rational, accountability and other information in the documents that contain the identified (tagged) data. This flexibility allows images and other related information to be stored as well. It does this by providing user defined attributes and allowing the user to specify exactly the information they wish to capture about the requirements, their relationship to other requirements and/or the tests that prove successful implementation of the requirements.

Once the allocations are complete, the user will want the ability to see the links where they come from, where they go, and why they apply.

The tool should allow the user to identify inconsistencies such as unlinked requirements or system elements (orphans).

Full Compliance. RMTrak allows the user to view childless requirements and orphans. In addition, RMTrak includes other useful reports and facilitates add-in reports for users that wish to define their own.

4.2. Visibility into existing links from source to implementation--i.e. follow the links

With the requirement links in place, the user needs the ability to follow the links to see where they come from and where they go to

Full Compliance. The user can view the links by running a requirement summary or in one of the many RMTrak views. The user can go directly from a view to the document by double clicking on the requirement within a view.

Throughout the life of the project, the requirement management tool will be used to verify that the requirements have been met. The tool should provide the ability to document that the requirement was fulfilled, how it was done, and who was responsible.

Full Compliance. The user can specify that a requirement is ‘terminal’. These requirements are considered to be the end of the trace thread and thus that they indicate a final test (verification, system, validation, etc.). If desired, the date, user or other custom information can be captured when the requirement is marked as completed, or changed.

4.4. Requirement performance verification from system elements (roll up of actuals)

Once performance requirements have been allocated to system elements, the requirements management tool should support the verification of those requirements by rolling up actuals and reporting on variances (this is the allocated weight versus the actual weight).

Partial Compliance. The user can enter an SQL command through the reports interface to view the custom attributes in the desired format. RMTrak was designed to allow the user to specify how this verification is completed versus forcing the user to do it the way the RMTrak Designers thought it should be done.

Once requirements have been captured, the requirement management tool should maintain a history of requirement changes, who changed it, when it was done, why it was done, etc. Some of this tracking could be automatic, others could be procedural such as a rationale for the change and how the change is to be accomplished.

Full Compliance. RMTrak maintains a record of the user and date of a changed requirement. The user can enter any additional notes on the associated documents to capture any other information.

At various times the requirements will need to be baselined (saved and locked away). The requirements management tool should support this along with the ability to compare and contrast between various baselines.

Partial Compliance. To facilitate ease-of-use with any development process, RMTrak assumes that the user will use their existing configuration management and documentation control systems. As long as the user does not corrupt a baseline at any point along the way, RMTrak will support comparison of previous baselines.

The requirements should be able to be protected from modification, viewing, etc. by individuals or groups.

Partial compliance. To facilitate ease-of-use with any development process, RMTrak assumes that user access will be limited by file permissions. Documents that are opened once for read/write will be available for read-only access until closed.

The requirements management tool should output documentation in various military/commercial standard formats (MIL-STD-490, DoD-2167A, etc.).

Full Compliance. Output is in MS Word and can then be modified to desired format.

The tool should also support document quality and consistency checking through spell checking, data dictionaries, acronym tables, etc.

Full Compliance. Fully integrated with MS Word (dictionary, thesaurus, edit, formatting etc.)

Once the information is loaded, the requirements management tool should support the generation of presentation quality charts and graphs.

Full Compliance. The program comes with the ability to run common reports and views. Additionally, user-defined reports can be added and the user can use RMTrak’s custom SQL interface to provide data in the format they desire.

6.4. Custom output features and markings (user definable tables, figures, security markings..)

The tool should support the output of documents in finished form including page security markings, graphics/figures, user definable tables, indexes, etc.

The tool should allow the user to view the document on-screen in finished format.

Full Compliance. Closure report included in RMTrak; add-in reports and SQL interface available for other status.

Status current technical performance of various allocated performance requirements and monitor progress towards goals.

Partial Compliance. Each requirement can have a status field that will show progress. A view can be created to display this field for requirements.

Full Compliance. Views and reports can be run to determine compliance and non-compliance.

The requirements management tool should support ad hoc query’s and searches per the user’s discretion.

Full Compliance. SQL interface allows the user to enter to query entire database. The help file contains a map of the database, allowing the users to run their own queries.

6.7 Support for generation and display of special character sets, mathmatical symbols and formulas, and scientific notation,etc.

Full Compliance. The tool supports any Microsoft add-in for character sets. Documents can be built in any language.

Since Systems Engineers rarely work as individuals, the ability for a team of engineers to look/work on the same information at the same time is critical.

Full Compliance. Design allows for multiple users; one user at a time is allowed to update a document that contains the requirements.

The tool should support a team of engineers reviewing, marking up, and commenting on requirements or implementation alternatives.

Partial Compliance. Each user can open a copy of a document locally and make changes to it. When the global version of the document becomes available for writing they can integrate their changes. RMTrak supports the revision marking features included with MS Word.

Access by the team to the database must be tempered by multi-level access control (i.e. the ability to protect things from being modified). This also includes the ability to submit changes into an approval cycle (for acceptance/voting) before committing the changes to the tool for everyone to see.

Partial Compliance. Network security can be employed for access control of documents and database.

Requirements management must have the ability to communicate requirements to other domain-specific design tools (CASE, EE, etc.).

RMTrak data can easily be exported from its MS Access Database to any format or style the user desires with relative ease. Customization of the data can be done by the user or by RMTrak Support Staff. RMTrak will import requirements information from several popular requirements management packages. In addition, RMTrak Support Staff can provide assistance with importing data.

To support the wide variety of tools in use by engineers, the requirements management tool should have programmable access to the information contained in the tool’s database (to get access to and deposit information).

Does the tool support Open Database standards such as standard query languages or exchange formats?

Does the tool have the ability to import existing data (such as a ASCII text file containing link information) to create structures within the tool without having to re-enter the information?

Full Compliance. The user can open the data file with MS Word, format the text and then import it into RMTrak. RMTrak Support Staff can assist with these efforts as well.

Since the tool will be used at different sites and different projects, how does the tool exchange information between different tool installations or databases?

Full Compliance. RMTrak allows the user to open up different databases located anywhere accessible by the user.

Does the tool support comparing/contrasting of different same-tool datasets to allow consistency and verification checking?

RMTrak currently supports Microsoft Operating Systems in most network environments.

Does the user have the ability run a report and look at a requirement at the same time?

If the tool allows for multiple windows/views into the tool--does a change in one view automatically reflect in all other views?

Partial Compliance. The program will update the database that the views are generated from when it detects that changes have been made.

Full Compliance. The user can cut/copy/paste within Word, and change the requirement type within the program through the user interface.

Does the tool allow the user to create and playback commands or macros that allow the user to automate various tedious tasks?

Full Compliance. User can record scripts and macros within Word and then run them as desired.

Which military/commercial standards does your tool comply with--including database standards, output document standards, exchange standards, display/graphics standards, etc.

RMTrak supports most standards supported by MS Word and the last several generations of Microsoft Operating Systems.

Does the tool support network licensing (floating, node locked, etc.), if so which license manager?

RMTrak is sold, node-locked, based on the number of concurrent seats that will be in use at one time or as a site license. Licenses are easily accessible 24/7 via http://www.RMTrak.com.

How often are software updates released; are updates separately priced items, etc.?

Updates available from company web site, and are included as part of the maintenance agreement.

Comprehensive users manual, overview manual, sample database and online help provided with the tool. In addition, white papers and other helpful information are available via http://www.RMTrak.com.

Does the tool supplier have an Internet e-mail address or World Wide Web home page location? If so, what is the address and Uniform Resource Locator (URL)?

All regular RMTrak support is provided via the Internet. If addition support is needed, a support agreement is required.

13.1 Are tools specific training classes available? What geographical areas?

RMTrak is intuitive, easy to use and comes with plentiful documentation. If additional assistance is required, please contact mailto:RMTrak.Support@RMTrak.com

13.3 Amount of training required to become proficient with the tool (number of days)?

13.4 Can software installation be performed by an individual with only basic training in the tool?

14. What other requirements management features do you as a tool supplier think are important (modeling, etc.)?

We believe that different users have different needs when looking for a tool. To that end, we think that it is important that a tool address these different needs by allowing flexibility and customization. Our product, RMTrak, is designed to meet the needs of an organization that relies on cost-effective solutions when performing requirements management. As a successful product development consultancy, RBC has been delivering solutions on time and within budget to our clients for the last eight years using and evolving RMTrak. It was designed to address the missing functionality in other products, while not overburdening it with utilities that are not critical to the requirements management process.

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Last Modified: September 22, 2004