Traveling of Requirements in Development of Packaged Software: The Role of Uncertainty and Work Design

Software requirements are created, shared and translated across software organizations, and express task uncertainties that software developers need to address through appropriate structuring of processes and the surrounding organization. Using the theory of work design we propose an in-depth qualitative inquiry into development of packaged software for the utility industry. Using the particular context of software provider GridCo, we examine how requirements are constructed, shared, and translated as they travel across vertical and horizontal boundaries. In addressing these questions, we seek contribution to theory by uncovering knowledge about the sources of and responses to task uncertainty in development of packaged software. We also contribute to practice by providing accounts of an organization’s contextual responses to managing requirements as they travel across boundaries, and reaffirm the need for process reinforcement to support the role of boundary spanners. Preliminary indications suggest hardware dependencies and process ill-adapted to software projects contribute to uncertainties.