An Approach To Qunantitative Non-Functional Requirements In Software Development

Non-functional requirements are commonly called the qualitative aspects of a system -testability, mobility, and scalability, to name a few. However, when taking a holistic view of a system, non-functional requirements take on a quantitative nature. This paper will describe the Requirements Hierarchy Approach (RHA), a quantifiable method to measure and manipulate the effect non-functional requirements have on a system by capturing the utility of functional requirements. Through the use of agent-oriented programming, multiattribute utility analysis (MAUA), and decision science theory, non-functional attributes (of a system) can be used as containers in an attempt to capture the broadest cross-section of functional requirements, based on stakeholder input. The final result will be an optimal set of requirements that satisfy the stakeholder’s needs and are not in opposition to one another.