Bridge Between Agile and Traditional Methods - Agile Requirements Documentation Structuring (ARDocS)

Sep 11, 2026

Software Requirements Engineering (SRE) differs substantially between agile and traditional development, especially in how requirements are documented. Traditional methods typically require a single structured Software Requirements Specification, while agile relies on multiple artefacts with less upfront documentation. In hybrid environments where teams from both approaches collaborate, these mismatches can create communication and understanding challenges. This paper presents ARDocS, translating agile artefacts into structured documentation compatible with traditional practices through metamodeling and concept mapping. The approach is validated via a case study combining Scrum with the VOLERE template.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Software Requirements Engineering in Traditional and Agile Methods

Documentation as a Communication Tool in Hybrid Development

Ingénierie des Systèmes d’Information Vol. 29 , No. 6, December, 2024, pp. 2091-2104 Journal homepage: [http://iieta.org/journals/isi](http://iieta.org/journals/isi) | Bridge Between Agile and Traditional Methods: Agile Requirements Documentation Structuring (ARDocS)
Hind Wissam Kalfat1,2* , Mourad Oussalah2 , Azeddine Chikh1
1 Computer Sciences Department, LRIT Laboratory, Tlemcen University, Tlemcen 13000, Algeria
2 LS2N, CNRS, Ecole Centrale Nantes, Nantes Université, UMR 6004, Nantes F-44000, France [Corresponding Author Email: hind-wissam.kalfat@univ-nantes.fr](Corresponding Author Email: hind-wissam.kalfat@univ-nantes.fr) | | | --- | --- | | Copyright: ©2024 The authors. This article is published by IIETA and is licensed under the CC BY 4.0 license
([http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)). | | [https://doi.org/10.18280/isi.290601](https://doi.org/10.18280/isi.290601) ABSTRACT | Received: 2 September 2024
Revised: 13 November 2024
Accepted: 26 November 2024
Available online: 25 December 2024 | Software Requirements Engineering (SRE) varies significantly between agile and traditional methods, particularly in documentation practices. In traditional methods, for instance, the team is required to produce one structured and detailed document which is the software requirements specification. While agile methods require less documentation, which is spread over several artefacts. These differences can lead to communication challenges in hybrid development environments, where both agile and traditional teams collaborate. In such contexts, documentation can serve as a crucial communication tool, bridging the gap between the two methods. This paper proposes ARDocS approach, which translates agile artefacts into a structured document compatible with traditional methods. ARDocS involves defining and specifying agile and traditional documentation through multiple abstraction levels using metamodeling, and mapping the concepts between these two metamodels. We validate our approach through a case study that applies ARDocS to the Scrum method for agile and the VOLERE template for traditional. ARDocS effectively consolidates information from various agile artefacts into structured documentation that can be understood and used by both agile and traditional teams. | | --- | --- | | Keywords:
software requirements engineering, traditional requirements, agile requirements documentation, hybrid documentation, meta-modeling | | 1. INTRODUCTION Software requirements engineering (SRE) is considered asthe most important aspect of software development as it consists on understanding the product to be developed. SRE is a process that differs from one method to another: in traditional approaches like waterfall, SRE is carried out at the very beginning of the project, enabling an upstream planning of the entire product. The plan is then strictly followed by the development team throughout the rest ofthe project [1] . These approaches are highly effective in safety-critical systems. According to Martins and Gorchek they are preferred in such domains because the new ones are not yet mature or not convincing enough [2] . Indeed, projects in defence or healthcare need a strict regulatory standard that takes every detail into account; to insure they stay within budget and time while addressing the correct requirements. On the other side, in agile approaches, SRE is informal and highly dependent on individuals’ knowledge and skills. It is carried out throughout all the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and requirements evolve as the project progresses [3] . These approaches are widely adopted by companies that prioritize customer feedback and adaptability. For instance, Microsoft’s commitment to agile principles helped the company to continuously evolve, stay at the forefront of technological innovation and respond to market demands. By embedding SRE throughout

FAQs

What is ARDocS and what problem does it address?

ARDocS is an approach that bridges agile and traditional requirements documentation. It addresses communication challenges in hybrid development by converting agile artefacts into structured documentation compatible with traditional methods.

How does ARDocS translate agile artefacts for traditional documentation usage?

ARDocS uses metamodeling to define and specify agile and traditional documentation across multiple abstraction levels, then maps concepts between the two metamodels.

What validation was used to evaluate ARDocS?

The approach was validated through a case study applying ARDocS to Scrum (agile) and the VOLERE template (traditional) to consolidate information into understand-able structured documentation for both teams.

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Ben Jamin