Using FLOW to Improve Communication of Requirements in Globally Distributed Software Projects

Effective communication of requirements is essential in all software projects. In distributed projects communication faces even more and bigger challenges due to the narrow communication channels that are available. Applying information theory and information flow concepts as provided by FLOW to process improvement can help to overcome challenges associated with communication of requirements in global software projects. We participated in a software project distributed over three locations in three time zones. To test the feasibility of our FLOW perspective we analyzed the projects information flows. We found communication problems that are typical in a global context. Based on FLOW theory we developed three new suggestions to overcome these problems. Finally, we present a measurement approach that can be used to evaluate our suggestions in future global projects.