Software Quality and Value Engineering for Industrial Grade DevOps

In the SQVE project we try to enhance the requirements gathering method TAICOS (Task-Interest-Constraint-Satisfycing) with cost and value engineering aspects. TAICOS, formerly known by Siemens as Core-Method or Core-Model, is a requirements gathering methods that focuses on identifying the minimum viable features of a product or service and therefore allows to specify minimal viable products in an iDevOps setting, i.e., the method is capable of dealing with increments. First results of a feasibility study, which is currently carried out, are promising. TAICOS focuses on two major aspects: 1. Identification and specification of the most important tasks a user of the future system or service has to carry out, i.e. with an emphasis on the value creation process. 2. Deep understanding of the interests of the stakeholders of the proposed solution and their impact on values and cost. Specifically the interests are formulated as requirements – but not on a general system level, but on the level of individual tasks. This allows a more precise specification of those non-functional interests. Based on the identified tasks this allows for a data-driven product management, i.e., allows to monitor and control the functional suitability of a solution and offers the basis for a value-based engineering and enhancement of a provided solution or service in an iDevOps context and therefore contributes to the planning and realization of features as products on a value basis.