Current Trend of Software Requirement Engineering Process in IT Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)-A Systematic Literature Review

Small and medium-sized businesses or known as SMEs are essential contributors in the software industry. Software Requirement Engineering (SRE) process is an essential part of the software development life cycle. With the advent of technology, the software has become necessary component of business, especially with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Due to this many challenges faced by IT SMEs in adoption of SRE for successful completion of projects. There have been many factors affecting the progress of SMEs among which few are reported in this SLR. A total of 40 studies are found which are relevant to the research questions and published between 2010 and 2023. The research highlights that SMEs face significant challenges when implementing effective SRE processes due to a lack of resources, experience, and tools. However, the studies propose various solutions to address these challenges, including Agile methodologies, communication enhancement, collaboration among stakeholders, and tools to support SRE processes. The article emphasizes the importance of considering the human elements of SRE, such as team dynamics, training, and motivation, and suggests that SMEs should establish specialized SRE processes that fit their requirements and resources. The article concludes that more research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of SRE practices in SMEs and to provide guidelines and frameworks for improving SRE processes in this significant segment of the software industry. Overall, the research provides helpful insights into the current state of SRE practices in SMEs and highlights the potential for enhancing SRE procedures in this sector. © 2023 IEEE.