Purpose

This tool mentor describes capturing and managing stakeholder requests using the various features provided by Rational ClearQuest.

Related Rational Unified Process Activities:

In the Requirements Workflow:

Overview

ClearQuest helps the analyst effectively gather stakeholder requests by providing a complete and consistent enhancement request form. This form is fully customizable and can be designed for your development workplace. The requests are logged in the same central change request database, regardless of who logs the request. Internal stakeholders (team members) use the ClearQuest Windows or Web application to submit enhancement requests, while external stakeholders use the ClearQuest Web application for submission with limited access. Additionally, after enhancement requests have been submitted, the analyst can further qualify these requests by adding information to each request.

This document contains the following sections:

  1. Logging Enhancement Requests using ClearQuest Web
  2. Organizing Enhancement Requests in ClearQuest Windows
  3. Analyst-Based Queries

For More Information

For detailed information regarding configuring and customizing ClearQuest forms see the ClearQuest online help and the Rational ClearQuest user's guide.

1. Logging Enhancement Requests using ClearQuest Web To top of page

ClearQuest provides a Web application that can be configured to provide restricted functionality to non-ClearQuest licensees. With restricted access, a ClearQuest Web user can submit change requests and is provided access to a single administrator-defined ClearQuest query. This unique feature allows key stakeholders who do not belong to the software team building the system to enter their feedback via the Web. Additionally these stakeholders remain informed of the progress of the request and retrieve updated status by running the limited access query.

Tool Steps

To enter an enhancement request using ClearQuest Web:

  1. Start your browser and enter the ClearQuest Web URL. The ClearQuest Logon page appears.
  2. Enter your User Name and Password then click the Logon button. You are now connected to the ClearQuest database on the web.
  3. From the Table of Contents list on the left-hand side of the screen, locate the Operations heading and click the subheading Submit a Record. The Select record type page appears.
  4. Click the downward arrow in the Select record type field and a list of available record types appears. Select Enhance_Request and click the Submit button. The Submit Enhance_Request form appears divided into three sections.
  5. In the Main section, enter information into the Headline, Origin, Customer Priority and Description fields.
  6. In the Attachment section of the record, attach any available supporting information for the enhancement request by clicking the ADD button and linking to the external file.
  7. In the third section of Contact Information, enter all applicable Customer and Submitter Information. (name, company, e-mail address).
  8. Click the OK button and the enhancement request is created and added to the central database.

For More Information

For detailed information regarding configuring ClearQuest Web to provide restricted functionality to non-ClearQuest licensees, see:

  • Editing Web Settings in the ClearQuest Web online help

2.  Organizing Enhancement Requests in ClearQuest Windows To top of page

After the enhancement request is submitted, ClearQuest provides additional fields organized by tabs to complement the original submitted information on the record form: the Analysis tab, the Resolution tab, and the Notes tab. The intent of these tabs is to allow the analyst to balance the submitter information with team-specific information such as marketing priority, target release, etc. for organizational purposes. The analyst queries the enhancement request database using this information to assist in deciding which requests will be implemented in each release.

Tool Steps

To organize enhancement requests using ClearQuest Windows:

  1. Select the enhancement request and click Action > Modify on the right side of the Enhancement Request form. This activates the request and allows editing of the record.
  2. Click the Analysis tab to activate it.
  3. Set values for each of the related fields by clicking the downward arrow in each field (Marketing Priority, Request Type, Product, Product Area, Target Release and Owner) and selecting the desired values. Note: These fields are entirely customizable, the specified fields are provided out-of-the-box in ClearQuest.
  4. When editing is complete, click the Apply button to save the changes.

The enhancement requests can now be queried based on the set values.

For More Information

To view additional information on organizing your enhancement requests see the white paper "Using ClearQuest and RequisitePro for Analysts," which is available in Let's Go AnalystStudio. For information regarding queries and customizing fields, see the ClearQuest online help.

3.  Analyst-Based Queries To top of page

ClearQuest provides a powerful query interface that allows the analyst to query all defects and enhancement requests in the connected project. The following are queries that the analyst might find helpful in managing enhancement requests. The analyst might run the following queries:

  • Isolate those enhancement requests that are targeted for the specific release being addressed. Because not all enhancement requests received can be implemented in the current release, it is helpful to query all enhancement requests using the "Targeted Release" field. This query returns a working list of all enhancement requests that have been triaged and designated for the release indicated in the query.
  • List all enhancement requests that have not been associated with a requirement. This query aids the analyst in viewing those enhancement requests that are still under consideration, or in the queue, but have not yet been assigned to a specific software iteration.
  • Locate the number of occurrences or instances of the same enhancement request. This query assists the analyst in determining how many times an enhancement request has been submitted by stakeholders. This adds to the weighting process to determine the importance of the request to the stakeholders and the priority level.
  • Determine how many requests are true enhancement requests for existing functionality versus those that determine new functionality. This query shows the progress of the software development. Here the analyst can discern if the majority of the enhancement requests are to fix existing functionality or if they require the addition of new features to the current product.

After the analyst has isolated those approved current version enhancement requests, they are easily linked with valid requirements in the requirement database using the ClearQuest/RequisitePro integration.

For More Information

For information regarding ClearQuest/RequisitePro integration, see the tool mentor Managing Stakeholder Request Using Rational ClearQuest and RequisitePro, and the Getting Started with Rational Suite AnalystStudio guide.

For more information on creating queries in ClearQuest see the ClearQuest online help.

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