In transformation programs, development timeframes are measured in years, the ability to track & test requirements and establish traceability is definitely seen as a critical mission because teams for these programs are distributed across multiple business units/segments. Since the teams are distributed across the globe and resource sharing is very high in large programs, there is a definite need for automation tools for Requirement & Test Management.

The evolution of integrated development environments, better known as IDEs was the first step towards cohesively performing multiple activities in a single platform. While this addresses issues with respect to activities like build, connectivity with other LC stages still remains a challenge. End to end integration of tools across the SDLC provides a solution in terms of seamless integration across the lifecycle that enhances traceability, efficiency, governance and deliverable quality.

Perhaps the best illustration of the impact of this change would be the penetration of cell phones in the day to day lives of people. Simplicity and affordability hold the key to the success of this device and the technology that runs it. If however, one draws a parallel to the engineering tools used in the IT industry on the same lines, these tools have some catching up to do.

If you look at Individual productivity, it is all about concentrating hard, thinking, focusing on the job at hand, ensuring there are no distractions while you are at the task. It is all about segregating yourself out of the prevailing environment and doing the job in the most efficient manner using tools and accelerators. Now when we look at team productivity the expectations are brazenly different from what they were with Individual productivity. Barring a few common things, the focus shifts and shifts dramatically to interactions, communication, discussions, involving other team members, stakeholders, leveraging tools and accelerators.

Can a person inherently "trained" to be individually productive become a positive contributor to team productivity just as naturally? Can a person shift between these two paradigms rapidly and multi-task without loss of efficiency, Quality and focus?

Validation of business processes prior to implementation was not a norm earlier, as this activity would typically be taken post implementation of the process by IT as systems within the enterprise. However, the success of business process deployment in an organization depends on how effectively and completely the business process has been tested.

Traditionally requirements elicitation is done in a textual way through workshops, end user discussions etc. The textual form of requirements is supported with use case diagrams and static screen mockups. These don't equip the stakeholders to have a clear picture of the final product's behavior and appearance. This can lead to multiple reviews, approval iterations hence increasing the requirements cycle.