6 Part 6: V-Modell Reference Activities

6.3 Activities

6.3.4 Configuration and Change Management

6.3.4.2 Assessing Problem Report/Change Request

Purpose

Topical processing and assessment of problem reports and change requests will be required. For the assessment the competent person in charge of changes should identify the roles who are assigned to the products or topics affected by the change and who have the necessary technical and system- and project-relevant knowledge.

To assess the problem report/change request, at first an analysis of the effects shall be made. In this analysis it will be examined what possible consequences the implementation of the change request may have for the development project or the system in the in-service phase. In this context not only technical aspects, but also financial and organizational aspects shall be considered. Also possible risks connected with the implementation of a change for the project shall be included in the analysis.

In a next step suggested solutions shall be worked out how the request for change may be implemented. The suggested solutions shall be presented in sufficient detail so that they can be reconstructed by the competent change steering group.

Finally it shall be decided which suggested solution would be the most suitable. For this recommendation appropriate reasons shall be given. This must include a statement on the priority of the implementation, and also estimates concerning the expenditure and the effects on the project/system shall be provided.

6.3.4.2.1 Analyzing Problem

The problem described in the problem report or the change request will have to be analyzed. When doing this, it shall be checked whether the problem requires a solution or whether it can be neglected. If it turns out that the problem will have to be solved, the cause of the problem will have to be determined. If it is a system error, it will have to be determined whether the error lies in the requirements, the design or in the realization, i. e. in the code, respectively the hardware. The analysis of the cause will be made easier if during system development existing relations are documented (tool-based) in a relation or an impact model.

If the change request includes a change of requirements, such as a new or improved functionality, it will have to be examined how this functionality can be integrated without conflict into the existing requirements specification. If the desired change - in case of an existing product - refers to an improvement of the system, it will have to be examined whether the described improvements can be implemented as outlined in the change request.

If the change request comes from the acquirer and if it refers to a change of an already agreed or the integration of a new requirement, a corresponding amendment of the contract will have to be prepared, harmonized and signed. Without an amendment to the contract will not be possible to implement a solution to the problem.

6.3.4.2.2 Proposing Solutions

Based on the description of the problem in the problem report or the change request, it will have to be determined how a desired change can be implemented. In this context it also will have to be outlined whether the problem can be solved completely or only in parts. Each suggested solution should include at least the following information:

• those parts of the system that are affected by the change (such as business processes, system elements or requirements);
• that phase of the development process in which the change incurs (i. e. design, coding or integration);
• the description of the solution to the problem;
• the description of the required expenditures and
• the impact of the required changes on the project (for example on time, costs, personnel or resources).

When considering the suggested solutions, it should also be taken into account whether it is possible to maintain the required security level when they are implemented.

6.3.4.2.3 Making a Recommendation

To be able to make a recommendation when assessing a problem report or a change request, the suggested alternative solutions will have to be evaluated based on their impact. Based on the scores, a decision shall be made, which also shall be substantiated. For the evaluation in particular technical criteria should be used.