Requirements Traceability across Organizational Boundaries- A Survey and Taxonomy

Abstract. [Context and motivation] Outsourcing of software devel-opment is an attractive business model. Companies expect cost reduc-tion, enhanced efficiency, and exploited external resources. However, this paradigmatic shift also introduces challenges as stakeholders are spread across distinct organizations. [Question/problem] Requirements trace-ability supports stakeholders in satisfying information needs about devel-opments and could be a viable way of addressing the challenges of inter-organizational development. While requirements traceability has been the subject of significant research efforts, its application across organi-zational boundaries is a largely unexplored area. [Principal ideas/re-sults] We followed a qualitative research approach. First, we developed a taxonomy identifying the needs of inter-organizational traceability. Sec-ond, we conducted semi-structured interviews with informants from 17 companies. Eventually, we applied qualitative content analysis to ex-tract findings that supported and evolved our taxonomy. [Contribu-tion] Practitioners planning and managing inter-organizational relation-ships can use our findings as a conceptual baseline to effectively leverage traceability in those settings. Effective traceability supports projects in accomplishing their primary goal of maximizing business value.