Episode 17: Making Quality Requirements with Colin Hammond

Why Didn't You Test That?

Welcome to episode 17 of the Why Didn’t You Test That? podcast. In this episode, Curiosity Software's Rich Jordan and CEO James Walker are joined by Colin Hammond, CEO of ScopeMaster who discusses the importance of how requirements analysis and sizing lends well to predicting project schedules and assessment of scope in software development.

The neglect of skills and training in requirements elicitation and documentation leads to poor requirements quality and project issues. Hammond emphasises how sizing software using functional points allows for accurate estimation, better resource planning, and early identification of project issues. This early detection is crucial avoid budget overruns or ultimately to prevent a project from failing.

Agile development should not neglect the importance of high-level requirements and architecture to avoid costly changes later. Functional sizing provides a reliable predictor of effort, aiding in project estimation and scope management.

AI advancements can automate requirements analysis, generate test scenarios, and offer suggestions, but human supervision and context are essential. Organizations are starting to challenge the ownership of quality, recognizing the need for a holistic approach beyond testing.

The shift towards a quality engineering role and new quality-focused positions shows an increasing awareness of requirements and quality in software development.

The Curiosity Software Podcast featuring Rich Jordan, Huw Price, James Walker and colleagues! Get insight and expertise into what’s driving software design and development. Learn how you can improve your journey to quality software delivery, by considering how much do you really understand about your systems, and when things inevitably go wrong, why didn’t you test that? Spotify | YouTube | iTunes | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music | Deezer | RSS Feed