What is a common risk during the requirements gathering phase?

Incomplete or misunderstood requirements represent a significant risk during the requirements gathering phase of software development. This phase is crucial for defining what the system should achieve and ensuring that all necessary features and functions are identified. If requirements are not clear, or if stakeholders fail to articulate their needs accurately, it can lead to a mismatch between user expectations and the final product. This misalignment often results in increased costs, project delays, and potential failure to deliver a usable system, as developers may create a system that either lacks needed functions or includes unnecessary features.

Addressing this risk requires careful communication with stakeholders, effective documentation practices, and often, iterative feedback loops to validate that the requirements truly reflect user needs. This proactive engagement can help confirm that all aspects of the requirements are understood and agreed upon, reducing the likelihood of issues later in the project lifecycle.