How would you do it if I asked you to define the core of all software projects in one word? Yes, this might be a tough question to answer, but from my experience, I have learned that software projects are nothing but a combination of requirements. From business requirements to user interface requirements, functional requirements to nonfunctional requirements, the list goes on and on.
Before starting any software project, collecting and analyzing all the requirements is important. Yes, you want to spend only a little time gathering or fulfilling those requirements, but you must pay attention to them too. It would help if you struck the right balance between the two to drive your software project to success. It is the first step of the waterfall model or software development lifecycle.
In this article, you will learn about the requirement traceability matrix.
What is Requirement Traceability Matrix?
Requirement traceability is all about defining and following the life of a requirement both in forward and backward directions. A requirement traceability matrix is a document showing the relationship between requirements, defects, and test cases. It highlights the requirement’s source and gives you visibility into other elements, such as use cases, project planning and testing.
Why Do We Need Traceability Matrix?
The requirement traceability matrix allows you to monitor all the requirements and test cases easily. It also minimizes the time and effort required to conduct impact analysis and helps you identify the impact of change. More importantly, it also elaborates on what needs to be tweaked to achieve the change.
Test managers can benefit from the requirement traceability matrix template as it will help them eliminate the risk of leakages and duplication and tell them how much testing is required. In addition, a requirement traceability matrix template can also come in handy, especially when you must document and audit software projects. When all the test cases are associated with the requirement, it becomes extremely easy to trace everything.
Types of Requirement Traceability Matrix
There are three types of requirement traceability matrix.
- Forward
- Backward
- Bidirectional
Advantages of Requirement Traceability Matrix
There are many advantages of the requirement traceability matrix. Some of them are as follows.
- Simple to create
- No special tool required
- Give an overview of all requirements.
- Highlight the relationship between entities and how these use cases are linked.
How to Prepare Requirement Traceability Matrix?
Here is a step-by-step process for creating a requirement traceability matrix.
- Collect all required documents, whether a business requirements, functional requirements, nonfunctional requirements, or technical requirement documents.
- Start by listing down all the software project requirements from the business requirement document.
- Next, analyze the functional requirement document and list the requirements for every business requirement.
- Open test scenarios and test case document
- Connect TC IDs to individual functional requirements.
Characteristics of Good Requirements Traceability Matrix
Here are some of the good characteristics of the requirement traceability.
- It should be action-oriented
- Engage all the key stakeholders in the requirement-gathering process.
- Conduct feasibility study
- Add visuals
- Validate the content
Your requirement traceability template should encourage developers to take action. Get all the stakeholders on board and ensure that all of them are on the same page regarding software project requirements. Include visuals to make the document more engaging for the reader. Once you have created a traceability matrix, you must thoroughly review it and distribute it to ensure all the errors are corrected.
What is a Business Requirement Document?
Clients provide a business requirement document that includes all the high-level business requirements. In short, it defines the business solution of a project. It answers some key questions, such as:
- What would a new product do?
- What is the main purpose behind the solution?
- What high-level constraints could hinder the successful deployment of software projects?
Like the requirement traceability template, business requirement documents have a template. Here are some of the essential elements of the business requirement document.
- Summary
- Project goals
- Need statement
- Project Scope
- Personal needs
- Schedule, timeline, and deadline
- Cost and benefit
- Execution and implementation roadmap
What is a Functional Specification Document?
The technical team creates the functional specification document. The technical team clearly defines and describes business requirements and maps them with functional requirements, which can easily be implemented in software and mobile app development.
Difference Between Business Requirement Document and Functional Requirement Document
The Business requirement document emphasizes high-level business needs, while the functional requirement document outlines the functional requirements that could fulfill the business needs.
How do you build a requirement traceability matrix? Share your method with us at Pearls-inc >> sales@pearls-inc.com
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