Agile requirements management with SAP Cloud ALM and SAP Solution Manager

Successful requirements management is the key to the success of IT projects. It forms the foundation for the planning, development and implementation of software solutions. Traditionally, requirements management was often implemented in rigid, lengthy processes that led to delays and misunderstandings. Today, however, we are faced with the challenge of mastering the dynamics of the technology sector and reacting flexibly to changing requirements. This is where agile requirements management comes into play, and SAP Cloud ALM and SAP Solution Manager are two excellent tools for tackling these challenges.

What is agile requirements management?

Agile requirements management is an approach that focuses on the flexible and iterative capture, prioritization and implementation of requirements. It is based on the values of the agile manifesto and enables teams to adapt quickly to changes and continuously integrate customer feedback. Instead of extensive documentation, agile requirements management focuses on close collaboration and transparent communication within the team and with stakeholders. Requirements management is a part of requirements engineering.

The advantages of agile requirements management:

  1. Faster response to change: Today’s business world is volatile and requires companies to react quickly to changing requirements. Agile methods enable teams to quickly identify new requirements and incorporate them into ongoing development.
  2. Better customer focus: Regular customer feedback and greater stakeholder involvement ensure that the solutions developed meet the needs of users. This leads to higher customer satisfaction and better results.
  3. Reduction of risks: Continuous testing and feedback loops allow potential problems to be identified and rectified at an early stage, minimizing the risk of costly errors or undesirable developments.
  4. Greater transparency: Agile methods promote open communication within the team and create transparency with regard to project progress and priorities. This means that everyone involved is always informed about the current status.

SAP Cloud ALM for agile requirements management

SAP Cloud ALM is a cloud-based application that was developed specifically to support SAP projects, but can also be used very well for non-SAP projects. In addition to the advantages of an agile approach, the platform also offers extremely good traceability from requirement to test to feature (transparency). This allows teams to seamlessly track the relationships between the requirements, the associated tests and the implemented features and ensure that each requirement is successfully fulfilled (reducing risk).

SAP Solution Manager for agile requirements management

SAP Solution Manager is a proven tool for requirements management and overall project management. One of the outstanding advantages of this tool is the ability to adapt requirements management to the specific needs of the customer. Customer-specific fields can be used to record additional information and map specific requirements, thereby creating greater transparency. It also improves cooperation and understanding between the team and stakeholders and creates a better customer focus.

Seamless integration of requirements

Both SAP Cloud ALM and SAP Solution Manager offer seamless integration of requirements into an enterprise process hierarchy. This makes it possible to align the requirements with the company’s strategic goals and ensure that each requirement has a clear business value. An approval function can also be used to control when implementation of the requirements can begin.

In addition, seamless documentation facilitates access to important information and promotes collaboration.

Connection between story and requirement

In agile projects, requirements are often formulated in the form of user stories. The link between the user stories and the original requirements is crucial to ensure that the developed features meet the requirements. Both SAP Cloud ALM and SAP Solution Manager support this connection and provide clear visibility and traceability between the stories and the underlying requirements. With both tools, it is possible to break down requirements into user stories and tasks without losing the connection between the different stages.

Agile requirements management is essential to be successful in today’s rapidly evolving business world. Using SAP Cloud ALM and SAP Solution Manager as tools to support agile practices brings a variety of benefits. Teams can work more efficiently, embrace change faster and achieve better customer satisfaction. By integrating agile methods into requirements management, SAP projects are raised to a new level of effectiveness and flexibility. The excellent traceability of SAP Cloud ALM and the adaptability of SAP Solution Manager’s requirements management enable teams to clearly track their requirements, optimize their processes and successfully respond to change.

Ready for agile requirements management with SAP Cloud ALM or SAP Solution Manager? Benefit from our experience in this area and contact us now for a successful implementation in your company!


Stefan Thomann, Tallinn

Stefan Thomann

Stefan works as a Senior ALM Consultant and has in-depth knowledge of various ALM topics. He has extensive experience in areas such as Focused Build, Process Management, Testing, Focused Insights and ChaRM.

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