The last Methods & Tools asked the following question: “Which format is used to express requirements in your organization?”
| Free text | 36% |
| User Stories | 23% |
| UML Use Cases | 20% |
| Other format | 7% |
| Requirements are not formalized | 14% |
Participants: 325
Ending date: April 2011
Source: Methods & Tools Requirements Survey
The positive result is that 86% of the participants have some mechanism to document their requirements, even if it is only in the form of free text. This is not a surprise as previous surveys on the same topic reported that around 80% of their participants were using basic office software to manage requirements. The combined result for formal formats is 50% with user stories being used by 23% of participants. The adoption of Agile practices is visible, even if UML use cases can also be used within an Agile approach.