Requirements Culture in Industry: Contrasting Perspectives From a Startup and Global Company

Abstract

This study explores the concept of requirements culture through a case study performed at two different engineering companies: a medical company startup and an international power tool corporation. We introduce and explain requirements culture and how it influences requirements management and relevant engineering design practice among company stakeholders. This study uses a qualitative data collection approach through semistructured interviews with company leaders and relevant requirements stakeholders of various company roles. The findings suggest the presence of a requirements culture within companies driven by their communication practices, documentation methods, and shared values. While practices observed were vastly different, there were nonetheless processes in place for managing requirements. Alongside variations in the level of rigor associated with requirements management, there were also observed differences in terminology and documentation practices. Further, company values and engineers' behaviors toward external regulatory bodies, as well as the use of stage-gate models, were highlighted as significant influences on the requirements processes.