Applying Model-based Requirements Engineering in Three Large European Collaborative Projects: An Experience Report

TL;DR

This paper shares a 5-year practical experience of implementing a Model-based Requirements Engineering approach across three large European projects, highlighting benefits like scalability, heterogeneity handling, traceability, and automation.

Contribution

It demonstrates the practical application, benefits, and limitations of a Model-based Requirements Engineering approach in large-scale collaborative projects.

Findings

Improved scalability in requirement handling

Enhanced traceability from requirements to software components

Increased automation in documentation processes

Abstract

In this paper, we report on our 5-year's practical experience of designing, developing and then deploying a Model-based Requirements Engineering (MBRE) approach and language in the context of three different large European collaborative projects providing complex software solutions. Based on data collected both during projects execution and via a survey realized afterwards, we intend to show that such an approach can bring interesting benefits in terms of scalability (e.g. large number of handled requirements), heterogeneity (e.g. partners with different types of RE background), traceability (e.g. from the requirements to the software components), automation (e.g. requirement documentation generation), usefulness or usability. To illustrate our contribution, we exemplify the application of our MBRE approach and language with concrete elements coming from one of these European research projects. We also discuss further the general benefits and current limitations of using this MBRE approach and corresponding language.