Requirements engineering process improvement challenges faced by software SMEs in uganda

Abstract

Despite the numerous benefits of Requirements Engineering Process Improvement, many Ugandan software developing companies seem not to properly conduct it. This has implications on the quality of software being produced by these organizations. Moreover, little research has been conducted to establish the challenges being faced by the Small and Medium Enterprises that produce software in Uganda. This study examines the challenges of requirements engineering process improvement in Ugandan SME software companies with an aim of coming up with recommendations for improving the quality of software produced by Ugandan SME software companies. A qualitative research approach was used where four software producing companies in Uganda were selected to participate as case studies. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. The main challenges hindering successful Requirements Engineering Process Improvement were identified as ambiguous requirements from the clients, lack of user’s involvement and lack of management support. The study recommends that for successful Requirements Engineering Process Improvement in Ugandan software companies, there should be training, user involvement and establishment of proper change management strategies.