The Problem of the Lack of Benefit of a Document to Its Producer (PotLoBoaDtiP)

The paper lists some of the quotations gathered during interviews and focus groups during a consulting engagement to help the client company improve its requirements engineering (RE) process. The paper describes in detail one of the phenomena observed, namely that of the problem of the lack of benefit of a document to its producer (PotLoBoaDtiP). It goes on to report other manifestations, including building and maintaining traces, of the PotLoBoaDtiP reported in the literature. It concludes by suggesting that the PotLoBoaDtiP cannot be solved with only technology, but that the motivational issue must be addressed.