Requirements Engineering in Agile and Traditional Environments: A Comprehensive Approach to User-Centered Software Development

Abstract

In the context of accelerated digital transformation, organizations face challenges in developing software that effectively responds to user needs. Requirements engineering, while critical to the success of software projects, often presents issues such as ambiguities, contradictions, and lack of traceability in requirements, which can lead to critical errors during the development cycle. This article aims to analyze requirements engineering in agile and traditional environments, with a focus on improving the quality, traceability and usefulness of systems through proper requirements management. To this end, a mixed methodology was used, combining documentary research and the analysis of practical cases in educational and health institutions in Ecuador. The methods used include semi-structured interviews, direct observation, questionnaires and prototypes, following the international standards ISO/IEC/IEEE 29148:2018 and BABOK v3. The results obtained show that the rigorous application of elicitation and validation techniques, together with the combination of agile and traditional approaches, improves the accuracy and relevance of requirements. In addition, it was found that the active participation of stakeholders and the use of digital tools favor a better alignment of projects with the real needs of users. Finally, it is concluded that requirements engineering should be integrated as a transversal competence in the training of software engineers, prioritizing an approach that combines technical, methodologicaland ethical aspects to guarantee the success of digital transformation.