QFD application to a software-intensive system development project

This paper describes the use of Quality Function Deployment ~QFD3, adapted to requirements engineering for a software-intensive system development project, and synthesizes the lessons learned from the application of QFD to the Network Control System (NCS) project of the Deep Space Network (DSN). The selection of QFD started by recognizing that “quality” means customer satisfaction with the product. The application of QFD to the front-end of the lifecycle was built upon the premise that it is an effective technique for incorporating customer requirements into product design, in such a way that a history of improved product-releases could be achieved and quantifiable relationships could be established between customer satisfaction and the high-level specifications of a communications-and-control system. Against this background the adaptation of the QFD technique focused mainly on exploring the measurements of software behavior (or, performance characteristics) and on assuring the degree of completeness (or appropriateness) of high-level specifications, while facilitating the analysis and design activities of the product-development team. Where needed, QFD was coupled with other techniques, such as Yourdon´s methodology