Explore our portfolio

A simple click in the interactive graphic takes you to the individual segments of our service portfolio. Learn more about the most frequent problems, its solutions and points of issue an organisation meets on its way there.

Move the cursor over the graphic and click at the desired segment to get to the corresponding section.

Agile Methods

For an organisation, being agile means being flexible, proactive and adaptable, and acting with initiative in times of change and uncertainty. It means doing the right thing at the right time in the right amount and continually scrutinising your own development processes for improvement potential. Under the heading "agile requirements management", HOOD coaches agile teams in the use of professional requirements management in process frameworks like Scrum, Kanban and RUP. We support our customers in moving from heavyweight specifications to lightweight requirements descriptions that are appropriate to the needs of everyone involved.HOOD will support you in choosing the right language and model for communicating requirements and suitable methods for eliciting requirements. Our experience ...

BPMN

The OMG standard "Business Process Modelling Notation" (BPMN) is a notation for representing business processes. Because of its simple and easy to learn modelling elements, this language offers a straightforward and easily understood method of communication between business analysts and technical specialists. All those involved both within an organisation and externally will benefit from the fact that models produced with BPMN are easy to explain and understand. We will train your staff in the use of BPMN and help them to introduce a proven modelling methodology, tailored to your organisation's specific needs. BPMN good practices will support you in the production of specific and appropriate models, in customising modelling methodology and in coordinating your staff in using BPMN. ...

Business Process Analysis

Do you wish to quickly adapt your business processes to new or restructured business units?Do you wish to optimise your resource planning?Do you wish to avoid unnecessary waiting times in executing steps in your processes?HOOD can help you to reach these goals by supporting you in analysing and modelling your business processes.When your business processes have been modelled and responsibility for the individual activities has been defined, changes and reorganisations will be easier to implement and more focussed. Based on the documented business processes, you will be able to determine which activities can still be run in parallel and which need to be changed.If unwanted waiting times occur during the steps within your business process, you will be able to identify the causes more accurately ...

Change Management

When developing complex (software) systems involving large teams, it is normally essential to have a formal system of change management, because customers request changes that expose mistakes and quality defects, and alter project management priorities. Change requests should therefore be recorded systematically, in order to estimate the time and cost implications, and to effectively plan and control the implementation.Change management begins at the requirements stage and extends throughout the entire development process and is closely linked to configuration management.HOOD has many years of experience in introducing processes for successful change management and can support you in:defining change management processesevaluating your existing (change) management processes using maturity models ...

CMMI

CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) und SPICE (Software Process Improvement and Capability Evaluation) are maturity models that support companies in assessing their current status, regarding the specific skills necessary for developing products or systems. This involves measuring the maturity level of processes, based on the assumption that higher quality processes lead to higher quality results.However, these maturity models only provide a framework for saying which processes there should be, rather than how they can be implemented.HOOD has many years of experience in all system and software engineering methodologies and supports organisations in establishing them on the basis of maturity models. We supplement these high-level models with models that enable improvements to be made ...

Configurations and Versions

Configuration plays an important role in every industry. Even when you buy a cupboard from a well-known Swedish manufacturer, the parts delivered must match the assembly instructions.The management of components and their different versions, which together from a 'configuration', has become an unavoidable aspect of the product lifecycle and its variants. Due to the increasing level of incremental/iterative development processes and product-line and platform-based approaches, configuration management (CM) is assuming even greater importance. This begins right from start with the requirements.Using an appropriate software support tool and beginning with the requirements, HOOD will show you how to introduce, implement and establish configuration management in your organisation.HOOD can support ...

ITIL

ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) is an established standard for implementing and developing IT service management within companies. The library includes best practices for planning, performing and supporting IT services; it covers the entire IT services lifecycle.One particular goal of ITIL is to increase the effectiveness of IT services though automation and to reduce costs.Of particular importance is monitoring the performance of IT services in relation to their costs. If they are no longer in equilibrium and the costs are greater than the benefits, then it is possible to counteract this at an early stage.HOOD can provide certified ITIL consultants who will be able to analyse the business processes in your organisation, taking into account your organisational structure, and optimise them ...

Modeling

Modeling is a key tool for eliciting and specifying requirements. Models are excellent methods of communication. They highlight important aspects, abstracting them from details that are currently unimportant. In this way, models are particularly helpful in working out underlying needs.At HOOD, modeling is therefore used as a tool in all key areas; from business process modeling, system specifications, to the analysis and design of software.For this we make use of standards such as Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) and Event-driven Process Chain (EPC) for business process analysis, SysML for system specifications and UML for analysis and design of software systems.We regard the integration of modeling and requirements engineering as essential for creating synergies between ...

Practices

The aim of all modern software development processes is to support the work of project teams. Processes should help to produce software as quickly and effectively as possible. However, classic processes are tending to become more complex, are very inflexible and can only be extended to meet the needs of the project at considerable time and cost. This requires a change of thinking, because the value added in daily project work is significantly influenced by the efficiency of the development environment. A particular challenge lies in the precise but, nevertheless, flexible organisation of workflows.HOOD's Value-oriented Practices allow a modular design of processes for tailored workflows in your development activities. This innovative approach links analysis of the value chain with object-oriented design ...

Processes

HOOD has many years of experience in all many systems and software engineering methodologies and process models like RUP, V-Model or ITIL. We support organisations in establishing these methodologies based on recognised maturity models (CMM, CMMI and ISO15504-SPICE). An inventory is used to identify what problems projects currently have in implementing processes, which parts of the process are already in regular use and the 'good practices' that are already being followed. This includes identifying strengths and weaknesses, which form the basis for the user-oriented process improvement measures.HOOD can support you in reviewing your current level of maturity model achievement,identifying what needs to be done, based on the review,developing process additions and measures for reaching these ...

Project Management

Every project manager has the desire to complete his or her project within the planned timescales, in accordance with the budget and with results that are of the expected quality. However, this is barely achievable without effective project management. Right from the planning stage of a project, activities need to be defined; and the cost and resources needed have to be calculated. Only then will you be able to estimate how long the project should take and how large your project team needs to be.Project management does not just involve high-level activities; it extends to the individual requirements level. You must be able to estimate the cost and resources required for fulfilling these requirements, so that you can prioritise in the event of bottlenecks.HOOD will support you in planning, implementing ...

Requirements Development

Requirements development includes everything relating to finalising the content of requirements. It is separate activity to requirements management, which ‘manages’ the requirements once they have been defined.Depending on the system level and project constraints, requirements development can begin with the elicitation of stakeholders. If high-level specifications already exist, suitable analysis and technical solutions will allow requirements for the sub-systems to be derived. In each case, always within the scope of development for the respective level of the system.A suitably precise way needs to be determined for documenting the requirements that have been elicited or derived using an appropriate notation (see for example HCM for the natural language). ...

Requirements Engineering

Reduced budgets, tougher competition, increasingly complex products and shorter product cycles are the current challenges facing development companies. If youwant to manufacture something,develop something together with othersor wish to purchase something,you have requirements that you need to understand and manage. The use of requirements engineering is an essential part of large corporations and middle-sized companies, for the successful development of complex products, services and systems.Requirements engineering is the driver for the contents within the disciplines of system and software development. It concerns both the management and linking of all artefacts relevant to the specifications (requirements management (RM)) and the development of that specifications' content (requirements development ( ...

Requirements Management

Requirements management involves managing requirements over the complete product lifecycle, including managing the changes to requirements. For example, the question of who, when and what changes have been made to a requirement (or who has reinstated a requirement that has already been rejected or discarded) can be answered through requirements management.HOOD's core competencies focus on all aspects of requirements management. We can support you in managing requirements, as well as in the related disciplines concerned with product development.We consider requirements management to be one of several disciplines that are necessary to successfully develop complex systems. It is therefore important for us to develop processes and methodologies in close cooperation with other disciplines, e. ...

Risk Management

The more complex and adaptable the system or product is, the higher the level of dependency and cross-linkage within your project. Here it is particularly important to react quickly to any risks that arise and to know which areas they affect.Risk management may appear unnecessary if nothing unexpected happens in a project. But do you know of a project that has run without any problems and mistakes being made?Risk management is primarily concerned with identifying risks in your project, estimating their probability and effects, and defining measures to deal with them. You then monitor and manage the risks during the entire course of the project, in accordance with your chosen risk management strategy.HOOD will help you to define a suitable strategy, identify and quantify risks in advance and ...

RUP

Rational Unified Process (RUP) is a standard for software development processes.HOOD's many years of experience has shown that the blanket roll-out (big bang) of a new software development process offers little prospect for success. Instead, it is necessary to identify where the greatest benefits to the organisation and users lie, by analysing the current situation. The standard process selected, such as RUP, can then be customised (tailored) and successively implemented in these areas.HOOD will help you tounderstand the opportunities offered by a standard process model and to assess them correctly,choose those areas where the greatest benefits will be achieved,customise a standard process and document this in an appropriate way,clarify outstanding questions and details regarding the practical ...

SCRUM

Scrum offers a process framework for defining roles, products and workflows. In order to be able to integrate this framework into your own work environment, other disciplines must be adapted to work in an agile way. Requirements management is sometimes the poor relation - the product owner as a black box that has to deliver high quality requirements at the start of every sprint. HOOD will support your Scrum teams in optimising the efficiency of their work through the use of professional requirements management. Reaching a READY state of requirements reliably and efficiently is equally as important as the specific and business-orientated selection of stakeholders, and the elicitation of relevant functional and non-functional requirements.The product owner is central to the services provided by ...

SOA

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a management and software-architecture concept for creating IT architecture more flexibly and efficiently. An SOA approach will help to separate what needs to be done (the 'services') from who (or which IT system) does it and where. This enables companies to achieve enormous flexibility for quickly reacting to market demands, technological developments and other business goals. In addition, the planned interaction (orchestration) of 'simple' services is used to create 'premium' services.HOOD has considerable practical experience in developing service-orientated architecture, particularly in the telecommunications and defence industries.HOOD helps its customers to introduce system-orientated architecture within their organisations in such a way that it ...

Design

Software design involves determining the modularity of the software in question. For example, it is sensible to separate the application layer from the database layer in order to have the ability to replace the underlying technologies without having to change the entire software system.HOOD will support and advise you in using suitable support tools and methodologies for your software design.  ...

Architecture

System architecture is concerned with the basic structure of a system comprised of different components. This includes the relationship of the components to one another, the interaction of the components with the system environment and important architectural principles and patterns, which influence the (further) development of the system.HOOD works with its customers to develop techniques for producing system architectures that support their business goals. Using established procedures, we will make it possible for you to measure the quality of your system architecture and to compare alternative solutions. HOOD will also show you how the efficiency of your development process can be improved by reusing components; and support you in documenting system architecture through the use modelling.HOOD ...

SysML

Systems Modelling Language (SysML) supports the specification, analysis, design, verification and validation of complex systems.HOOD consultants have many years of practical experience in the use of modelling within organisations. We will train your staff in the use of SysML notation and help them to introduce proven modelling methodology, tailored to your organisation's specific needs and the requirements of the project. SysML good practices will support you in the production of specific and appropriate models, in customising modelling methodology and in coordinating your staff in using SysML.Modelling will play a key role in checking the consistency of your system specifications, make it easier to produce specific views for the various stakeholders (customers, system users, system engineers, specialists ...

Systems Engineering

The term 'systems engineering' originated in the defence and aerospace industry. Although, in the past, the term was often associated with sluggishness and bureaucracy, systems engineering and how it is perceived has experienced a transformation through its expansion into other industries. In developing complex commercial products (e.g. aircraft, mobile telephones, high-speed trains) and by incorporating electronics and software into the development of previously 'simple' products (e.g. cars, production equipment, domestic appliances), experience has shown that an adequate approach to development must be used in order to accommodate the enormously increasing complexity. Systems engineering with iterative approaches, costs and scheduling to be able to respond to market requirements, with close ...

Test Management

The maxim "The earlier that mistakes are discovered, the lower the cost of rectifying them" has been known for a long time. Despite this, the number of unsuccessful projects has remained high because systems and software applications have become more complex and the number of safety and quality requirements has increased. It's possible to control this situation through effective requirements-driven test management.Test management involves the systematic planning and management of all test activities, in order to be able to evaluate the quality of a system and existing risks. Integrating requirements and test management allows both disciplines to work together efficiently and the cost-benefit ratio to be optimised.HOOD can support you in: defining development processes for integrating ...

UML

Unified Modelling Language (UML) is an international standard that has contributed to standardising modelling languages. UML is used is an industry-wide standard used particularly in software analysis and design.HOOD consultants have many years of practical experience in the use of modelling within organisations. We will train your staff in the use of UML notation and help them to introduce a proven UML modelling methodology, tailored to your organisation's specific needs and the requirements of the project. UML good practices will support you in the production of specific and appropriate models, in customising modelling methodology and in coordinating your staff in using the process model.Modelling will play a key role in checking the consistency of your software specifications, make it easier ...

Variants and Product Lines

A product-line-orientated approach plays a decisive role in the development of high quality products, whilst at the same time reducing development costs. Cost savings are made by reusing standard components that have already been developed and tested and integrating variants of these standard components into various systems within the product range. Product-line management therefore begins with the requirements for standard components, product lines and platforms.HOOD has many years of experience in dealing with product lines, in managing variants and in integrating requirements management and variant/product-line management. We will help you to establish a product-line architecture that is tailored to your company's own situation. Good practices will support the efficient establishment of ...

AGILE

For an organisation, being agile means being flexible, proactive and adaptable, and acting with initiative in times of change and uncertainty. It means doing the right thing at the right time in the right amount and continually scrutinising your own development processes for improvement potential. Under the heading "agile requirements management", HOOD coaches agile teams in the use of professional requirements management in process frameworks like Scrum, Kanban and RUP. We support our customers in moving from heavyweight specifications to lightweight requirements descriptions that are appropriate to the needs of everyone involved.HOOD will support you in choosing the right language and model for communicating requirements and suitable methods for eliciting requirements. Our experience has ...

SPICE

CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) und SPICE (Software Process Improvement and Capability Evaluation) are maturity models that support companies in assessing their current status, regarding the specific skills necessary for developing products or systems. This involves measuring the maturity level of processes, based on the assumption that higher quality processes lead to higher quality results.However, these maturity models only provide a framework for saying which processes there should be, rather than how they can be implemented.HOOD has many years of experience in all system and software engineering methodologies and supports organisations in establishing them on the basis of maturity models. We supplement these high-level models with models that enable improvements to be made ...

Safety Engineering

An increasing number of products and systems with safety critical functions are being developed across all industries. Guaranteeing their functional safety represents a significant challenge.Functional requirements and safety concepts must be developed and checked in accordance with DIN 61508 and the automotive industry norm ISO/DIS 26262 derived from it.But how can the requirements for functional safety be systematically determined and how can these be integrated into the RM&E process?

HOOD has specialised in requirements engineering for over 20 years.

HOOD has extensive experience in the elicitation and management of requirements.In offering a wide range of elicitation techniques, proven information models and a structured approach, we can help you to elicit your ...

Security Engineering

In times of Stuxnet, data CDs from Lichtenstein and Internet espionage, the issue of IT security is assuming ever greater importance, particularly since it is increasingly essential to have reliable IT systems in order to guarantee business processes. Where the definite dangers are to be found is largely known. But how can security objectives, threats, weak spots, security risks, and the logical security requirements derived from them, be systematically determined?HOOD has specialised in requirements engineering for over 20 years. HOOD has extensive experience in the elicitation and management of requirements. In offering a wide range of elicitation techniques, proven information models and a structured approach elicit your security objectives, identify threats and weak spots, identify ...