Conflict Analysis and Negotiation Aids for Cost - Quality

The process of resolving conflicts among software quality requirements is complex and dificult because of incompatibilities among stakeholders' interests and priorities, complex cost-quality requirements dependencies, and an exponentially increasing resolution option space for larger systems. This paper describes an exploratory knowledge-based tool, the Software Cost Option Strategy Tool (S-COST), which assists stakeholders to I ) surface appropriate resolution options for costquality conflicts; 2) visualize the options; and 3 ) negotiate a mutually satisfactory balance of quality requirements and cost. S-COST operates in the context of the USC-CSE WinWin system (a groupware support system for derermining sofrware and system requirements as negotiated win conditions), QARCC (Quality Attribute and Bisk conflict consultant -a support system for identifying quality conflicts in software requirements), and COCOMO (Constructive Cost estimation Model). Initial analyses of its capabilities indicate that its semiautomated approach provides users with improved capabilities for addressing cost-quality requirements issues.