Ensuring traceability from the initial design concept to the final product is crucial. Traceability ensures that each step in the development process aligns with the intended goals and requirements. Tento+ simplifies the complex task of traceability by offering a visual approach to connect design outputs, specifications, and requirements at different levels.
Understanding Traceability in Product Development:
Traceability involves the ability to track and connect various elements of a product’s development process. It encompasses two key aspects:
- Specification Traceability: Specification traceability is achieved by connecting requirements at different levels, namely product level, system level, and component level. It establishes a hierarchy that ensures alignment with overall objectives. This shows how, for example, your user needs have been considered within your detailed component requirements.
- Design Output Traceability: This aspect links design outputs such as mechanical drawing, software source etc, to requirements through functions, and units, in a structured manner. It ensures that each design output is tied to the relevant requirements through functions, and units, allowing for clear understanding and validation. Units are groups of design files, and this unit, performs certain functions to meet the requirements.
- Verification Traceability: This aspect links requirements to test records to show that the requirement has been verified.
Creating Traceability in Tento+:
- Specification Traceability: within the specification trace tab, you can link requirements together by selecting “highlight trace” and pressing “set related”. This makes it easy to create that hierarchical structure that links product-level requirements to system-level requirements and component-level requirements.
- Design Traceability: Within the design specification tab, you can link your requirements to functions, function to units that perform that function, and moreover, the design files that make up that unit. Again, select “highlight trace” and press “set related” and you’ll be able to create a visual map of your traceability.
- Verification Traceability: Within the requirements tab, you can link each individual requirement to a related test that will show the requirement has been verified. The status of that test will be shown, so you can clearly see which requirements have been verified and which haven’t.
Benefits of Traceability with Tento+:
- Enhanced Clarity: Tento+ offers a visual approach to traceability, making it easier for teams to understand how design outputs and requirements are interconnected.
- Efficiency: By streamlining the process of linking design elements and requirements, Tento+ saves time when trying to document how traceability has been managed.
- Quality Assurance: Traceability in Tento+ ensures that each design output is validated against the relevant requirements, promoting quality assurance.
- Change Management: When changes occur, Tento+ helps track the impact on design outputs and requirements, facilitating change management.