Software development tools - from user goals to tests

Question

I'm beginning a new project of about 1 year of development (for the first version) done with multiple developers, testers, etc.

I'm wondering if something exist that could help me do the following:

• List all user goals
  • Associate functions to these user goals
    • Associate requirements to these functions
      • Associate design activities to these requirements
      • Associate development tasks to these requirements
      • Associate tests to these requirement
        • Qualify tests (system test, regression test, developer test, automated or not)

This way, I could:

1. Track if the program developed fulfill all user goals
2. Track if all functions are tested
3. Do a test matrix traceability to know if each requirements is tested
4. Track tests to do if a function is to be changed
5. Track the time needed to develop a function (it can serve later to estimate the time needed to modify it or to add a similar function to the program)
6. List all system tests to do when a new version is shipped
7. List all regression tests to do
8. List all developer test to do when there is a change in the function
9. List all automated test, this way we could know what is the percentage of the functions that are automatically testes.
10. etc.

You can suggest open source or commercial programs.

Answer 1

The Atlassian suite of software would seem to be a good fit and is very cheaply priced for a few users ($10 for up to ten users). I've direct (and good!) experience of using JIRA and find it very simple to use and flexible enough for my needs. Another alternative would be FogBugz, but I've no first-hand experience of using this.

Answer 2

re FogBugz, it is well worth having a look at the processes behind it, having worked on many non software projects I believe it is a universally sound methodology (even if Joel is a little quirky in his thinking.....). I use SmartSheet because it is simple, but still has heirachial tasking, as you have set out in the question. It is good at dealing with people, unlikely it is good at manageing code, whereas FogBugz presumably does that. A key feature of SS over Atl and others is additional users cost nothing. One decision you have to make is do you want the project plan to be output in a simple way which many stakeholders can understand, or detailed so you can track much activity. Obviously the detail will require effort. You have made a good start by setting out the issues, your culture of management may well be more valuable than the tool you choose.

ciao