Effect of requirements specification on the quality of computer systems

Abstract

Requirement’s engineering is a critical phase in the software life cycle, yet many projects still fail due to ambiguous, incomplete or weakly managed requirements. This systematic literature review analyses how the specification and management of software requirements influence the quality of information systems. The study compares formal and informal practices across different project contexts and identifies the metrics, attributes and standards used to assess their impact on reliability, maintainability, usability, efficiency and security/explainability. The research question was structured using the PICO framework and the search strategy followed PRISMA-S guidelines. Searches were executed in Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCO for the period 2020–2025, applying predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Out of 1,083 records, 38 primary studies were selected for detailed analysis. The results show that projects adopting explicit requirements engineering practices—such as structured templates, traceability, formal reviews and systematic change management—report fewer post-release defects, lower rework effort and higher project success than those relying on minimal or informal documentation. Non-functional requirements, particularly reliability, performance, security, usability and explainability, emerge as key drivers of architecture and long-term quality. Most studies employ at least five complementary indicators combining product, process and user-oriented measures, and recent works incorporate AI-based techniques (NLP, ensemble learning, LLMs) to support classification and quality assurance of requirements. The review concludes with practical guidelines for strengthening requirements engineering in both traditional and agile development settings.