Many requirements tools focus on accessibility and convenience features but fail to address fully the main issue that made use case analysis so successful: managing functional requirements and tracing them through the project development lifecycle. Functional requirements are often ignored or treated as a byproduct during broader requirements gathering. This is a serious misconception because functional requirements define the skeleton of the software system architecture. Despite the fact that many tools claim to support use cases, the situation with functional requirements isn't clearcut. The only tool I know of that supports use case modeling through the design of its core approach is Compuware Optimal Trace.

Product Description
Optimal Trace uses project scenarios as the main unit. Scenarios equate to use cases and can be grouped, linked, and reused as well as assigned non-functional requirements, parameters, and constraints at all levels.

Major Features/Functions
Focus, approach, and usability features are the key characteristics that make Optimal Trace a proper choice for eliciting, documenting, and managing system development requirements. Compuware Optimal Trace pioneers the new "requirement is the model" concept. The tool automatically generates activity diagrams, thereby reducing manual labor. In-step visualization saves time by automatically reflecting requirements in a graphical flow or visualization. It also provides implicit training for visual modeling by using 100% standard Unified Modeling Language (UML). As well as enabling automatic model generation for use case descriptions, changes to the system flow can be made directly to the activity diagram. In this way, the use case description is also automatically updated from the activity diagram.

Optimal Trace's user interface is built around a customizable use case template. In addition to standard template properties, Optimal Trace allows the addition of custom properties to describe the use case context or characteristics better. Custom properties can be added at use case, flow, or step level, and act as both project or design parameters. Use cases can also be populated with links to external artifacts. Selecting a link from the Optimal Trace environment invokes an application associated with the artifact. Links can also be included in the project design documentation to provide interactive access to dependable, up-to-date information from Optimal Trace.

Use case methodology has gained in popularity because it represents a naturally simple way of describing software-intensive systems. While Microsoft Word is still the most popular general project requirements instrument, Optimal Trace is an attempt to replicate Word's success in the functional requirements area by adding depth and completeness to requirements definition and management.

Optimal Trace offers a simple, intuitive way to organize and express a project. The left pane of the tool's GUI contains a project overview, which is similar to the file system overview pane presented in Windows Explorer. The right side opens into a graphical overview of the project. When a requirement is selected in the "requirements explorer," the right-side pane shows details about that requirement, including the flow and activity diagram. Properties for the selected requirement are also immediately displayed just below the "requirements explorer" window. This property panel also changes when a user navigates through the steps of a flow.

When working with Optimal Trace, it's hard not to notice how quickly the tool reacts to user controls. It reminds me of the old days when all interfaces were lightning fast. The great responsiveness of Optimal Trace's interface is very pleasing, especially since many other environments disappoint in this respect.

Most tools on the market claim to support requirements traceability, however, none of them takes it as far beyond the tool boundary as Optimal Trace. No other tool allows requirements to be pushed, as UML activity and use case diagrams, for example, in analysis and design suites like Rational Rose, Borland Together, and Compuware OptimalJ, thus setting the new traceability standard.

With this handy feature, application designers can build classes from use cases and code algorithms from activity diagrams in their favorite UML design tools. By using the Compuware OptimalJ design platform alongside Optimal Trace, traceability can be extended with roundtrip requirements engineering. Use cases can be modified in either Optimal Trace or OptimalJ and exchanged between the tools for the most comprehensive feedback solicitation. Optimal Trace doesn't stop there. It generates test cases that can be brought into Mercury Interactive Quality Center, Compuware QACenter, and other leading testing suites.

Compuware Optimal Trace offers intuitive requirements grouping with its Windows Explorer-like model based on folders. Folders are created under the project root and can be nested without limitation. Names are assigned as demanded by the system design or project structure and populated with individual items. As in a file system, Optimal Trace folders and individual requirements can be moved between folders without restrictions by simply dragging icons in the tool's GUI.

Optimal Trace automatically maintains a graphical representation of the project structure. Dependencies between individual requirements can translate into links between packages, which, in turn, can mean links between analysis subsystems, design components or project phases. The tool can also generate a report describing the dependencies between packages and individual requirements. The power of Optimal Trace's structured approach is most evident in its ability to express a multi-dimensional view of project data. In this way, project requirements can be captured accurately and completely: high-level business goals, steps, requirements, branches, alternate scenarios, interdependencies, non-functional and system requirements, custom properties, associated project artifacts (screenshots, etc.), and so on. Users can input project information graphically or textually and both representations of the project are built out in lockstep. Requirements can also be grouped as packages, enabling the delivery of iterations.

With Optimal Trace, you'll never see the message "You have to be connected to the server to be operational." The tool lets you start a new project or task while disconnected and reconcile with the server only when it's time to do so. Alternatively, you can start connected and cut off when you need to go where a network connection is unavailable. When re-connection is possible, the application will assist you by matching changes you made against those other users made.

Optimal Trace adds ease and performance to the process of merging off-line changes. No brainwork is involved: to take requirements off-line, just disconnect and select the "Upload Local Project to Repository" option. To bring requirements back online, select "Project Visual Merge."

Optimal Trace provides tight integration with tools such as Rational Rose, Borland Together, Compuware OptimalJ for Analysis and Design, Microsoft Project for Project Management, and Mercury Test Director for Quality Assurance.

Summary
Compuware Optimal Trace has an edge over other tools for functional requirements gathering and management because it's uniquely built around a customizable use case template. This organization facilitates system development projects. The tool's approach to requirements grouping based on folders or packages is intuitive and lets anyone familiar with the Windows Explorer interface quickly master complex hierarchies of requirements. Packaging requirements provides support for enterprise projects and lets them be linked with projects using use cases. Unlike many other interfaces, Optimal Trace lets multiple users start quickly and work on the same requirements simultaneously in either connected or disconnected mode. The tool takes requirement visualization to a new level as it lets diagrams and reports be created automatically and exported easily to a choice of development or testing tools. (See Product Snapshot)