REQ: Requirements Specification

Document Type

Code: REQ
Name: Requirements Specification
Domain: Product & Service

Abstract

This specification defines the Requirements Specification document type within the BSpec 1.0 Universal Business Specification Standard. It establishes normative requirements, structured templates, and implementation guidance for organizations documenting requirements specification within the product-service domain. This specification enables systematic, machine-readable documentation that supports strategic planning, operational execution, and organizational alignment.

Purpose and Scope

The Requirements Specification defines detailed functional and non-functional requirements for systems, features, and capabilities. It provides comprehensive, testable specifications that guide development and serve as the basis for validation and acceptance testing.

Document Metadata Schema

yaml

---
id: REQ-{requirement-area}
title: "Requirements — {Requirement Area}"
type: REQ
status: Draft|Review|Approved|Implemented|Deprecated
version: 1.0.0
owner: Requirements-Owner|Business-Analyst
stakeholders: [product-team, engineering-team, qa-team, compliance-team]
domain: product
priority: Critical|High|Medium|Low
scope: requirements-definition
horizon: current
visibility: internal

depends_on: [PRD-*, FEA-*, USE-*]
enables: [QUA-*, UXD-*, PER-*]

requirement_type: Functional|Non-Functional|Constraint|Quality
verification_method: Test|Analysis|Inspection|Demonstration
traceability_level: High|Medium|Low
compliance_requirements: [Compliance standard identifiers]

success_criteria:
  - "Requirements are complete and unambiguous"
  - "All requirements are testable and verifiable"
  - "Stakeholder needs are fully addressed"
  - "Requirements traceability is maintained"

assumptions:
  - "Stakeholder needs are accurately captured"
  - "Requirements are technically feasible"
  - "Testing resources will be available for verification"

constraints: [Technical and business constraints]
standards: [Applicable standards and regulations]
review_cycle: sprint-based
---

Content Structure Template

markdown

# Requirements — {Requirement Area}

## Requirements Overview
**Purpose:** {Why these requirements exist}
**Scope:** {What is covered by these requirements}
**Context:** {Business and technical context}
**Stakeholders:** {Who is affected by these requirements}

## Stakeholder Analysis

### Primary Stakeholders
- **Stakeholder 1:** {Role/Title}
  - **Interests:** {What they care about}
  - **Requirements:** {Specific needs}
  - **Success Criteria:** {How they measure success}
  - **Influence Level:** {High|Medium|Low}

### Secondary Stakeholders
- **Stakeholder 1:** {Role/Title}
  - **Interests:** {What they care about}
  - **Impact:** {How they're affected}
  - **Constraints:** {Limitations they impose}

## Functional Requirements

### Core Functions
- **REQ-F-001:** {Requirement ID}
  - **Title:** {Brief requirement description}
  - **Description:** {Detailed requirement specification}
  - **Rationale:** {Why this requirement exists}
  - **Acceptance Criteria:**
    - {Specific testable condition 1}
    - {Specific testable condition 2}
  - **Priority:** {Critical|High|Medium|Low}
  - **Source:** {Stakeholder or document source}
  - **Dependencies:** {Other requirements this depends on}
  - **Verification Method:** {How compliance will be verified}

### User Interface Requirements
- **REQ-F-100:** User Interface Functionality
  - **Description:** {UI functional requirements}
  - **Usability Standards:** {Specific usability requirements}
  - **Accessibility Standards:** {WCAG compliance levels}
  - **Responsive Design:** {Multi-device support requirements}

### Data Management Requirements
- **REQ-F-200:** Data Handling
  - **Description:** {Data processing requirements}
  - **Data Validation:** {Data quality requirements}
  - **Data Integration:** {System integration requirements}
  - **Data Migration:** {Data conversion requirements}

### Integration Requirements
- **REQ-F-300:** System Integration
  - **Description:** {Integration functionality requirements}
  - **API Requirements:** {Specific API capabilities}
  - **Protocol Standards:** {Communication protocols}
  - **Error Handling:** {Integration error management}

## Non-Functional Requirements

### Performance Requirements
- **REQ-NF-001:** Response Time
  - **Description:** System response time requirements
  - **Acceptance Criteria:**
    - Average response time ≤ {X} seconds
    - 95th percentile response time ≤ {Y} seconds
    - Peak load response time ≤ {Z} seconds
  - **Measurement Method:** {How performance will be measured}
  - **Load Conditions:** {Under what conditions}

- **REQ-NF-002:** Throughput
  - **Description:** System throughput requirements
  - **Acceptance Criteria:**
    - Minimum {X} transactions per second
    - Peak throughput of {Y} transactions per second
    - Sustained throughput of {Z} transactions per second

### Scalability Requirements
- **REQ-NF-100:** System Scalability
  - **Description:** System scaling requirements
  - **User Load:** {Maximum concurrent users}
  - **Data Volume:** {Maximum data storage/processing}
  - **Geographic Scale:** {Multi-region requirements}
  - **Scaling Method:** {Horizontal/vertical scaling approach}

### Reliability Requirements
- **REQ-NF-200:** System Availability
  - **Description:** System uptime requirements
  - **Availability Target:** {e.g., 99.9% uptime}
  - **Downtime Tolerance:** {Maximum acceptable downtime}
  - **Recovery Time:** {Maximum recovery time after failure}
  - **Backup Requirements:** {Data backup and recovery}

### Security Requirements
- **REQ-NF-300:** Data Security
  - **Description:** Data protection requirements
  - **Authentication:** {User authentication requirements}
  - **Authorization:** {Access control requirements}
  - **Encryption:** {Data encryption requirements}
  - **Audit Logging:** {Security audit requirements}

### Usability Requirements
- **REQ-NF-400:** User Experience
  - **Description:** User experience quality requirements
  - **Learnability:** {Time to basic competency}
  - **Efficiency:** {Task completion time for experienced users}
  - **Error Prevention:** {Error prevention and recovery}
  - **Satisfaction:** {User satisfaction metrics}

## Quality Requirements

### Maintainability Requirements
- **REQ-Q-001:** Code Maintainability
  - **Description:** Software maintainability requirements
  - **Code Quality:** {Coding standards and practices}
  - **Documentation:** {Code documentation requirements}
  - **Testing:** {Test coverage and quality requirements}
  - **Modularity:** {System modularity requirements}

### Portability Requirements
- **REQ-Q-100:** Platform Portability
  - **Description:** Cross-platform requirements
  - **Operating Systems:** {Supported OS platforms}
  - **Browsers:** {Supported web browsers}
  - **Mobile Platforms:** {Mobile platform support}
  - **Database Systems:** {Database portability requirements}

### Compatibility Requirements
- **REQ-Q-200:** System Compatibility
  - **Description:** Compatibility requirements
  - **Legacy Systems:** {Legacy system integration}
  - **Standards Compliance:** {Industry standard compliance}
  - **Version Compatibility:** {Backward/forward compatibility}
  - **Third-party Integration:** {External system compatibility}

## Constraint Requirements

### Technical Constraints
- **REQ-C-001:** Technology Constraints
  - **Description:** Technical limitations and requirements
  - **Platform Constraints:** {Required platforms or technologies}
  - **Language Constraints:** {Programming language requirements}
  - **Framework Constraints:** {Required frameworks or libraries}
  - **Architecture Constraints:** {Architectural style requirements}

### Business Constraints
- **REQ-C-100:** Business Constraints
  - **Description:** Business-imposed limitations
  - **Budget Constraints:** {Financial limitations}
  - **Timeline Constraints:** {Schedule requirements}
  - **Resource Constraints:** {Available team and resources}
  - **Regulatory Constraints:** {Legal and regulatory requirements}

### Environmental Constraints
- **REQ-C-200:** Environmental Constraints
  - **Description:** Environmental and operational constraints
  - **Physical Environment:** {Hardware and facility constraints}
  - **Network Environment:** {Network infrastructure constraints}
  - **Operating Environment:** {Runtime environment constraints}
  - **Security Environment:** {Security context requirements}

## Compliance Requirements

### Regulatory Compliance
- **REQ-COMP-001:** Data Protection Compliance
  - **Description:** Data protection regulatory compliance
  - **GDPR Compliance:** {European data protection requirements}
  - **CCPA Compliance:** {California privacy requirements}
  - **Industry Regulations:** {Sector-specific regulations}
  - **Data Residency:** {Geographic data storage requirements}

### Security Compliance
- **REQ-COMP-100:** Security Standards Compliance
  - **Description:** Security standard compliance requirements
  - **ISO 27001:** {Information security management}
  - **SOC 2:** {Service organization controls}
  - **PCI DSS:** {Payment card industry standards}
  - **HIPAA:** {Healthcare data protection}

### Quality Standards Compliance
- **REQ-COMP-200:** Quality Standards
  - **Description:** Quality standard compliance requirements
  - **ISO 9001:** {Quality management systems}
  - **CMMI:** {Capability maturity model integration}
  - **Industry Standards:** {Domain-specific quality standards}
  - **Certification Requirements:** {Required certifications}

## Requirements Validation

### Validation Criteria
- **Completeness:** {All stakeholder needs addressed}
- **Consistency:** {No conflicting requirements}
- **Feasibility:** {Technically and economically feasible}
- **Testability:** {Requirements can be verified}
- **Clarity:** {Requirements are unambiguous}

### Validation Methods
- **Requirements Review:** {Stakeholder review process}
- **Prototype Validation:** {Early validation through prototypes}
- **Use Case Validation:** {Scenario-based validation}
- **Acceptance Testing:** {Final validation approach}

### Traceability Matrix
- **Business Needs to Requirements:** {Traceability from business needs}
- **Requirements to Design:** {Traceability to system design}
- **Requirements to Test Cases:** {Traceability to testing}
- **Requirements to Implementation:** {Traceability to code}

## Risk Analysis

### Requirements Risks
- **Incomplete Requirements:** {Risk of missing requirements}
  - **Impact:** {Effect on project success}
  - **Mitigation:** {How to reduce this risk}
  - **Monitoring:** {How to detect early}

- **Changing Requirements:** {Risk of requirement changes}
  - **Impact:** {Effect on schedule and budget}
  - **Mitigation:** {Change control process}
  - **Flexibility:** {Built-in adaptability}

### Technical Risks
- **Feasibility Risk:** {Risk that requirements can't be met}
- **Integration Risk:** {Risk of integration challenges}
- **Performance Risk:** {Risk of performance issues}
- **Security Risk:** {Risk of security vulnerabilities}

## Change Management

### Change Control Process
- **Change Request:** {How changes are requested}
- **Impact Assessment:** {How changes are evaluated}
- **Approval Process:** {Who approves changes}
- **Communication:** {How changes are communicated}

### Version Control
- **Version Numbering:** {How versions are numbered}
- **Change Documentation:** {What changes are recorded}
- **Baseline Management:** {How baselines are maintained}
- **Release Management:** {How releases are managed}

## Validation
*Evidence that requirements are complete, unambiguous, and verifiable*

Quality Standards

Bronze Level (Minimum Viable)

[ ] Requirements overview with purpose, scope, and stakeholder identification
[ ] Core functional requirements with basic acceptance criteria
[ ] Key non-functional requirements for performance and security
[ ] All required metadata fields completed

Silver Level (Investment Ready)

[ ] Comprehensive stakeholder analysis with interests and constraints
[ ] Detailed functional requirements across all system areas
[ ] Complete non-functional requirements covering all quality attributes
[ ] Quality, constraint, and compliance requirements
[ ] Requirements validation criteria and methods
[ ] Risk analysis with mitigation strategies

Gold Level (Operational Excellence)

[ ] Full traceability matrix linking business needs to implementation
[ ] Comprehensive change management and version control
[ ] Automated requirements validation and testing integration
[ ] Real-time requirements compliance monitoring
[ ] Continuous requirements optimization based on system performance
[ ] Cross-functional requirements alignment and stakeholder collaboration

Common Pitfalls

Ambiguous requirements: Vague or interpretable requirement statements
Missing non-functional requirements: Focus only on functional capabilities
Poor requirements traceability: Unable to trace requirements to business needs
Inadequate stakeholder involvement: Requirements developed without stakeholder input

Success Patterns

Stakeholder-driven requirements: Requirements derived from stakeholder analysis
Testable requirements: Every requirement has specific acceptance criteria
Iterative requirements development: Requirements refined through prototyping and feedback
Cross-functional requirements team: Include business, technical, and user experience perspectives

Relationship Guidelines

Typical Dependencies

PRD (Product Requirements): Product requirements provide context for detailed specifications
FEA (Feature Specification): Feature specs drive specific functional requirements
USE (Use Cases): Use cases inform functional requirement scenarios

Typical Enablements

QUA (Quality Specification): Requirements drive quality standards and testing criteria
UXD (User Experience Design): Requirements inform experience design constraints
PER (Performance Specification): Non-functional requirements drive performance standards

Document Relationships

This document type commonly relates to:

Depends on: PRD (Product Requirements), FEA (Feature Specification), USE (Use Cases)
Enables: QUA (Quality Specification), UXD (User Experience Design), PER (Performance Specification)
Informs: System architecture, testing strategy, development planning
Guides: Implementation approach, validation criteria, quality assurance

Validation Checklist

[ ] Requirements overview with clear purpose, scope, context, and stakeholder identification
[ ] Stakeholder analysis covering primary and secondary stakeholders with interests and constraints
[ ] Comprehensive functional requirements with core functions, UI, data management, and integration
[ ] Complete non-functional requirements covering performance, scalability, reliability, security, and usability
[ ] Quality requirements addressing maintainability, portability, and compatibility
[ ] Constraint requirements covering technical, business, and environmental limitations
[ ] Compliance requirements addressing regulatory, security, and quality standards
[ ] Requirements validation with criteria, methods, and traceability matrix
[ ] Risk analysis covering requirements and technical risks with mitigation strategies
[ ] Change management with control process and version management
[ ] Validation evidence of completeness, clarity, and verifiability

REQ: Requirements Specification ​

Abstract ​

Purpose and Scope ​

Document Metadata Schema ​

Content Structure Template ​

Quality Standards ​

Bronze Level (Minimum Viable) ​

Silver Level (Investment Ready) ​

Gold Level (Operational Excellence) ​

Common Pitfalls ​

Success Patterns ​

Relationship Guidelines ​

Typical Dependencies ​

Typical Enablements ​

Document Relationships ​

Validation Checklist ​

Related Documents ​