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College of Engineering
Capstone

Requirements Artifacts

Requirements Artifacts

The requirements define the expected and actual performance of the product according to both the market and the development team. Expect the requirements to evolve as new information is obtained during the product development process.

Choosing the best method for reporting requirements for your project


When determining the best formats for documenting your requirements, you must consider your specific project. Requirements for projects that are largely physical and have variable measurable performance might best be served by using a Requirements Matrix. Requirements for a software project might best be managed in Jira. The following are intended to assist you in choosing the best methods for documenting the requirements for your project:

  • Requirements Matrix: The most succinct summary of the product performance is the Requirements Matrix. In the opportunity development stage, there is only a single requirements matrix. In later stages, additional requirements matrices for subsystems and components can be created. The complete set of requirements matrices should be included in the requirements section. See the Requirements Matrix section of the Product Development Reference for more information on the requirements matrix. A template for the requirements matrix is also available on Learning Suite. A template file and examples are available on Box. The requirements matrices may be hard to read if printed on standard letter-size paper. It may be desirable to print the performance matrices on B-size (11 by 17 inch) paper.
  • Software Requirements: Documenting software requirements can take several forms. Software Requirements details some issues to consider when determining the best documentation methods for your project.
  • Performance Graphs: In many cases, the measured or predicted performance is best represented by a graph rather than by a single number. In such cases, relevant graphs should be part of the requirements artifacts. Methods used to obtain the graphs should be part of the test artifacts, and should be cross-referenced here.