Holistic Agile Improvement Framework: Embedded with Cost Estimation and Intelligent Requirements Classification Capabilities

The software requirement management is essential and crucial for the success of any software. There are various requirement management tools, framework and artifact used by different software companies based on their nature, context and size. There is no universal agreement among the software companies to adapt to a standardized framework. In this research we have not only proposed a Holistic Agile Improvement Framework (HAIF) but also validated the framework from the industry through survey and expert panel – Delphi Method. The framework is revised and updated by incorporating the recommendations from the agile experts. The framework claimed to be standard light weight customizable version of the available frameworks combining Scrum and Kanban elements align with agile principles. The framework can be used to evaluate and improve the existing process models in the field of requirements engineering and project management. In addition to the framework, serving as light-weight architectural roadmap; We have provided an extension by developing a tool using machine learning approach to address Project Cost scalability- Project Cost Estimation at feature and module level. furthermore, we have classified requirements (User Stories) into Functional and Non-Functional Requirement. The tool with dashboard provides two functional features of accurate cost estimation and requirements classification that are critical to the success of software projects. The findings indicate that framework with added features from machine learning models, combined with intuitive dashboards, can significantly improve software project management, offering a scalable and data-driven approach to cost estimation and requirement classification.