Working Paper written for INCOSE2013
Discussion
of the essential features of product traceability maps in relation to requirements,
architecture, functional models, components and tests as a set of order type
hierarchies and their crosslinks. The paper lays out the structure of these
ideal traceability relations which define the essence of the product under
development. Then the intrinsic connection of these trace relations to the
representations of the product design is discussed. The importance of the trace
relations to the product are made clear and then abandonment of traceability in
Agile approaches is discussed, and a way to transform between narrative (story)
representations that appear in the product backlog and the canonical form of
the trace structure of the product is discussed. The fact that it is possible
to transform back and forth between narrative and canonic representations of
trace structures, and the fact that trace structures can be produced in a just
in time fashion that evolves during product development shows that it these
trace structures can be used in both an agile and lean fashion within the development
process. Also it is shown how by doing trace structure outside the narrative
representation has the additional benefit of helping to determine the precedent
order of development so rework can be avoided by developing component out of
sequence that their technological infrastructure and architectural expression
of capability demands. Thus canonical trace structures using this model can be
seen as an essential tool for product owners to use to help structure and
prioritize the backlog in the Agile approach to software and systems
development.