Requirements Traceability

Correct Answer: To map requirements to their sources and track their evolution through project lifecycle phases

The primary purpose of a Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) is to map and trace requirements from their origin through the entire project lifecycle. This includes linking requirements to their sources (business needs, stakeholder requests) and tracking how they are implemented, tested, and verified. A good RTM helps ensure: - Every requirement can be traced back to its source - All requirements are accounted for in the final solution - Impact analysis can be performed when requirements change - Requirements coverage is complete The other options are incorrect because: - Documenting changes and tracking approval status is more related to change management and requirements management processes - Establishing implementation timelines is part of project scheduling, not requirement traceability - Ranking requirements by business value is part of requirements prioritization, which is a separate process from traceability

Correct Answer: The system requirement may need to be decomposed into more granular components

The discovery of multiple user stories linking to a single system requirement typically indicates that the system requirement needs to be broken down into smaller, more specific components. This is because: 1. User stories represent detailed functional needs from a user perspective 2. System requirements should align with these granular user needs 3. Having multiple stories point to one requirement suggests the requirement is too broad or complex 4. Decomposing the requirement will improve clarity and traceability The other options are incorrect because: - Combining user stories would reduce granularity and make requirements less specific, which goes against good requirements management practices - Enforcing one-to-one relationships between requirements is not always necessary or beneficial - hierarchical relationships are normal - This is not a standard pattern - while hierarchical decomposition is normal, having multiple detailed items pointing to a single high-level item often indicates a need for better requirement breakdown

Correct Answer: The level that balances visibility of dependencies with maintainability

The best approach for requirements traceability is maintaining a balance between visibility of dependencies and maintainability. This balanced approach allows the business analyst to: - Track essential relationships between requirements - Maintain the traceability matrix efficiently - Focus on meaningful connections - Adjust the detail level based on project complexity - Ensure practical usability of the traceability data The other options are problematic because: Tracking at the most granular level possible creates excessive overhead, becomes difficult to maintain, and may capture unnecessary relationships that add no value. Capturing only high-level objectives and deliverables misses important intermediate relationships and dependencies, making it harder to assess impact analysis and change management. Simply following organizational guidelines may not be appropriate for the specific project context, as each project may need different levels of traceability based on its unique characteristics and complexity.