Effective requirements management stands as a cornerstone of successful software development, demonstrating time and again to be a decisive factor between project success and failure. Despite this proven importance, many organizations continue to rely on general office applications or basic project management tools instead of implementing specialized requirements management solutions—a choice that increasingly undermines project outcomes in today’s complex development landscape. This article examines why structured requirements management has become indispensable in modern software engineering, demonstrates the measurable advantages that purpose-built tools provide, and offers practical guidance for organizations looking to enhance their requirements practices to meet contemporary challenges.
Today’s projects involve substantial complexity. Companies operate in dynamic environments with evolving customer expectations, changing market conditions, and continuous technological advancement. Projects with interdisciplinary teams across multiple locations and diverse stakeholders with varying interests present coordination challenges that shouldn’t be underestimated.
These conditions create several practical risks:
Multiple industry studies indicate that approximately 40% of projects underperform due to inadequate requirements management—suggesting conventional approaches may no longer be sufficient for today’s needs.
Traditionally, Requirements Engineering has been distinct from other software engineering activities. The IREB defines Requirements Engineering as:
“The systematic and disciplined approach to the specification and management of requirements with the goal of understanding the stakeholders’ desires and needs and minimizing the risk of delivering a system that does not meet the desires and needs.” Stan Bühne, 2023 (https://www.iiba.org/business-analysis-blogs/requirements-engineering---a-key-skill-for-business-analysis-professionals/)
However, this traditional approach faces two practical challenges:
First, formulating requirements inherently involves responsibility allocation. In RE, stakeholders are responsible for the requirements content, while the RE professional manages the process quality. This division works well when stakeholders have clear requirements visions, but becomes problematic when they cannot articulate their needs clearly or fail to identify weaknesses during validation.
Second, stakeholders describing requirements are essentially performing design work. The CPRE Glossary notes that a requirement can be “a capability or property that a system shall have,” which fundamentally describes design elements.
Requirements management tools bridge the gap between traditional RE and design approaches with practical features:
Requirements are managed in a single environment, ensuring consistent access to current information. The standardized structure reduces misunderstandings and improves overall visibility.
Built-in mechanisms verify requirements for completeness, consistency, and precision. This identifies potential issues early, before they become costly implementation errors.
Changes are documented with impact analysis across related requirements. This traceability is essential in regulated industries and complex systems.
Connections to PLM, ERP, and test management systems facilitate information flow throughout the project lifecycle, reducing duplicate work and inconsistencies.
Current solutions like storywise use Large Language Models to enhance the requirements process. These tools help transform unstructured input into structured requirements, improving efficiency while maintaining necessary human oversight.
The implementation of appropriate requirements management tools provides tangible economic advantages:
These benefits align with the rationale behind agile methodologies, which evolved partly to address traditional requirements gathering limitations. Rather than extended requirements phases followed by development, agile approaches integrate requirements work and development in iterative cycles.
Several persistent misconceptions remain about requirements management tools:
“Our projects aren’t complex enough”
I’ve found that even modest projects with 50+ requirements achieve measurable benefits from improved structure and traceability.
“Implementation requires excessive resources”
Today’s SaaS options require minimal infrastructure investment. The long-term efficiency gains typically outweigh initial costs within the first project.
“The learning curve is too steep”
Modern tools feature significantly improved interfaces compared to earlier generations. Many include contextual guidance and simplified workflows.
“General tools are sufficient”
Excel, Word, and Jira serve basic needs but reach limitations with traceability, version management, and quality assurance requirements.
The recent advancement in AI-supported tools represents a meaningful step forward. Solutions like storywise integrate classic requirements management capabilities with modern language models, making the process more efficient.
Recent evaluations are encouraging: A 2024 academic study found efficiency improvements of 15-80% in requirements development, particularly for small to medium projects [1]. Additional research confirms these tools’ accessibility for non-specialists [2].
In 2025, managing projects without specialized requirements management tools represents a measurable risk. The complexity of contemporary development efforts and the practical demands for quality and efficiency make purpose-built solutions increasingly necessary.
With improved AI-supported tools and better understanding of how Requirements Engineering helps in the Software Engineering Process, organizations should reconsider their approach to requirements development and management. The relevant question isn’t about affordability of specialized tools, but rather about the cost of continuing without them.
Written by Simon Jiménez, 2025
[1]: S. Knuplesch, https://opus.campus02.at/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/981/file/AC17302710.pdf, 2024, FH Campus 02 [2]: S. Münzer, “WELCHE METHODEN UND TOOLS FÖRDERN EINEN BARRIEREFREIEN EINSTIEG IN DAS REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING FÜR HR-MITARBEITER*INNEN?” , 2025, FH Campus 02, not yet published