Lessons Learned from the Use of Artifact Models in Industrial Projects

In industrial projects, commonly a large number of work products needs to be created and managed. Explicitly documented models of the artifacts under development may assist in planning the structure of work products and defining the processes used for requirements development and management. In our experience, however, industrial organizations often do not explicitly define and capture requirements artifact models, because creating a documented artifact model is often perceived as having a high cost, while the benefits of its use are seen as unclear. This paper describes the analysis of the use of requirements artifact models in four industrial projects. The analysis results describe benefits of artifact models in industrial environments and six lessons learned that guide practitioners to a more effective and efficient use of such models.