An Ontological Win-Win Model for Requirements Negotiation: Visual Decision-Making Aid for Software Development Teams

Requirements negotiation in the domain of software development often runs into communication obstructions caused by the different worlds in which software engineers in software development firms and project managers in client firms exist. Toward a solution to situations of this kind, Grünbacher’s Easy Win-Win model presents a limited reformulation of the general win-win approach, which emphasises the collaborative construction of a common lexicon, or dictionary of agreed-upon terms with definitions. An ontological model also exists in conceptual form, representing a philosophically informed approach to reducing complex points of interpretation to visual imagery, with the potential for a more intuitive basis for common understanding than that afforded by a lexicon. This paper presents an augmented version of Grünbacher’s Easy Win-Win model for application specifically within the context of software requirements negotiation, to support future testing to assess its effect on communication effectiveness and efficiency.