A functional requirement document identifies what a new system is supposed to accomplish.
It focuses on the desired results rather than the design. Populated with the right information, it is one of the most useful tools in shaping a successful project. It lets companies like us know what you want, so we can work out how best to do it.
Although fantastical new features can be great to have, a good brief will focus on the big picture and will have clear objectives. So if you have a fantastic software idea, an innovative way to improve your business, here are our five top points on how to communicate this.
Requirements
Firstly, you will want to write an introductory statement of what the application is meant to do. This is expressed in a relatively simple and general way and will draw on your knowledge of the marketplace and any research you have done.
Objectives
This will set the benchmark by which your end product can be judged. The measurability of this can be in terms of time scales, resources, targets and goals.
Some examples could be to automate the workflow of your organisation, to integrate with other systems or meet new scalability requirements.
Functional specification
This describes the interfaces that the product must support. For example, it could define a numeric or date entry for a field, in a form. Or the mapping and workflow of your screens or user access.
Compliance
Next, you want to think about your compliance.
Nowadays, the majority of organisations, if not all, are required to follow some level of compliance. This could be to adhere to the GDPR data regulation, to the sales of goods act, or another legal requirement.
If so, the application may need to work in a certain way. It could involve adding a GDPR notice to a registration form, data being transmitted in a certain way, or something else.
Internal Requirements
Every business is unique. Some may be dependent upon other internal systems and, as such, may have specific requirements of how data should be provided. This could be to interface with another application or for it to make an API call to an online account tool like Xero.
You may also want to define internal processes, and who has access to what? For instance, the data entry team can enter data but cannot approve or delete data, whereas System Managers can enter or approve data but can't delete, leaving only Administrators with the rights to delete.
It ensures that all stakeholders understand
Defining your requirements helps to identify the behaviour, attributes and properties of the future system. Therefore, the main task of any functional requirement document is to ensure that all stakeholders understand what is needed and what is expected.
