Architecture Analysis Method: A Case Study Executive Summary

Software reviews, including design reviews, are conducted on most software-intensive Defence projects and are an important component of the software acquisition process. However, software reviews are often conducted in an ad hoc manner, and many are inefficient. This report investigates an alternative process for reviewing software designs that is based on the Software Architecture Analysis Method (SAAM). The SAAM review process is driven by the identification of scenarios that capture how the system might be used or modified. This report describes a case study of the SAAM review process. According to the results of the study, the SAAM review process offers potential benefits over the traditional design review process in the identification and clarification of requirements, but was less effective at identifying conflicts and trade-offs. Consequently, it is recommended that projects continue to use traditional review processes, and where appropriate, supplement these reviews with SAAM reviews to clarify and identify requirements