By Chris Uwaje

Domain analysis produces informal narratives and terminologies as well as formal, mathematicalmodels. It also includes Domain analysis is validated by domain experts — who may well not be software experts. Requirements capture: Produces informal narratives, terminologies and formal models for the actual system to be developed. These are typically extensions of the corresponding documents from the domain analysis (although the scope may be more restricted). Validation involves domain experts and, if possible, potential users.

Software Value Add Study: According to a recent US study on National Software Development, the following are the outcome of critical evaluation of the status of global software evolution:

1. The value of software to the national economy is not well understood.
2. The nation’s leaders generally view software as a shrink-wrapped commodity for personal computers.

3. Critical industries are increasingly dependent on custom software applications embedded within product lines and their processes.

ISSUE: What is the value added of software to the nation’s critical industries, to what extent are the nation’s critical industries dependent on software, and to what extent are the leading enterprises in each industry achieving global software competitiveness?

Implications
lGlobal competitiveness, industrial security, and professional infrastructure of the software industry are becoming leading indicators of national prosperity.
lWhile the competitiveness of the US industrial base is strongly and increasingly linked to software, the global competitiveness of US software-dependent enterprises is threatened.

Approach and strategy
lIdentify software usage within the product lines of each critical industry.
lPinpoint the software value points that are strategically essential to the competitiveness of each industry.
lAssess the leading indicators of global software competitiveness for the top enterprises, product lines, and value points in each critical industry.

lPackage the findings for use with diverse audiences ranging from the general public to the nation’s policy makers and industry leaders.

Deliverables
lReport on software usage in critical industries including telecommunications,  transportation,  manufacturing,  transportation, medical systems, and utilities and energy industry sectors by analyzing and pinpointing the value points that are strategically essential to the competitiveness of the enterprise and the nation.
lFor each enterprise and product line, report on the leading indicators of global software competitiveness using the mechanisms of the Global Software Competitiveness Assessment Program.
lAccumulate the findings in the Global Database of Software Competitiveness to serve as a national resource to promote a strategic advantage for the nation and its critical industries.

Impact
lFocus the software issues that impact national policy for our nation’s leaders.
lPinpoint shortfall in global software competitiveness for each enterprise assessed and promote improvement.
lImprove the understanding among the nation’s leaders and the general public on the importance and risk of software.

Target audience
The target audience includes leadership in industry, government, and academia, as well as the general public.

Plan
lInitially the identification of the enterprises participating in each industry sector and the pinpointing of strategic Value Points within targeted product lines provide the candidates for competitiveness assessments.
lAs competitiveness assessments are conducted, the measured results are calibrated based on the clustering of upper and lower ranges that serve to set expectations.

lThe models and findings of the competitiveness assessments are then validated based on the business performance of the product lines assessed.