by Barbara Davis

Software industry stats clearly show there is an urgent need for dramatic and immediate improvement to the way we develop our products.

Only 16.1% of software and technical projects are successful, and that of the successful 16.1%, only 20% of the implemented features are used all the time and 40% are never used at all! That means that only
1.24% of all proposed features are actually implemented and used! Further, 2.48% of all proposed features are implemented and never used!

The single-most common reason for these alarming statistics is requirements. A lack of practice formalization and holistic view of the causes and effects of failure, have led to the shotgun approach to
requirements. Periodic successes with this approach have, in turn led Business Analysts to believe that the fault lies elsewhere in the process.