Three Quick Tweaks for a Better Default Requirement Workflow

Getting requirement workflows right is important. After all, you need to make sure that requirements are reviewed by the right people, approved, and used to generate test cases. 

But requirement workflows can be tricky to configure properly.

Here are some tips for making your requirement workflow run smoothly by using Helix ALM. 

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3 Tips for Requirement Workflows

Helix ALM's sample project includes a sample workflow for managing requirements and requirement documents.

Most people base their workflow on the sample. But you'll probably want to tweak it to meet your needs. 

Here are three quick ways to tweak your requirement workflow:

• Lock and unlock requirements and requirements documents.
• Let test cases to be generated from requirements.
• Configuring requirement workflows.

Lock and Unlock Requirements and Requirement Documents

Let's say Requirement 2.1.1.1  has a  lock icon with the following text Record is locked through workflow displayed under it.

This indicates the requirement is in a workflow state that locks it, which prevents other users from editing the requirement.

To change when requirements are locked, log in to Helix ALM.

Choose Tools > Administration > Workflow.

Select "Requirements" from the Type drop-down list.

Click the "States" tab if it is not selected.

To configure the workflow so a requirement is unlocked in a specific state, select that state and click "Edit". 

Select "Unlocked" from the Locked drop-down list and save your changes. Users will now be able to edit requirements in that workflow state.

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Let Test Cases Be Generated From Requirements

If you use Helix TCM, you can also generate test cases from approved requirements.

To enable this, select the "Can generate test case" option when you're editing a workflow state.

Configure Requirement Workflows

The sample workflow has a number of default states and events that can also be changed to configure the workflow to fit your needs.

You can modify the workflow by removing or adding additional states and events. An event moves a requirement from one state to another. When you create a new state in the workflow, you will most likely need an event to move the requirement in and out of the new state. Keep in mind that an event can also be executed and have no effect on the state of an item.

For instance, the Assign event is only used to assign an item to one or more users without changing the state of an item.

In the following example, I want to change the workflow so a requirement can go directly to the Approved state from the Awaiting Review state.

I'm going to use the Approve event to move the requirement.

To implement this change, log in to Helix ALM. 

Choose Tools > Administration > Workflow. Select "Requirements" from the Type drop-down list.

Click the "Transitions" tab, then click "Edit" in the State Transitions area. 

Select the "Awaiting Review" check box for the "Approve" event.

After you save your changes, you'll notice you can now move requirements directly from the "Awaiting Review" state to the "Approved" state. 

Improve Your Requirement Workflows Today

Try Helix ALM for requirements management free for 30 days. You'll see for yourself how easy it can be to manage, review, and approve requirements. 

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