The scope and purpose document has been completed and rough budget estimates provided which are within the expected costs. The requirements document then adds several layers of detail so that all know exactly what it is that needs to be done. Projects can fail to complete on time or within budget if this stage is not completed correctly. It is not good enough to state a requirement for instance as being able to manage an address. There are many variations.

Do you want to validate any parts of the address to check the postcode is valid, or the street name?

Do you need an address look up facility?

What countries will you want to roll this out to?

Each component here adds cost and whilst a project might survive one or two mis-interpretations, several can derail any project and cause friction between clients and developers.

In essence the requirements is mainly about managing expectations and having a document that matches the scope and purpose but with clearly defined deliverables that both parties agree to before development starts.

How it works

The purpose / scope document outlines the objectives. The requirements then build on that. A client can create their own document or we can instruct one of our Consultants to complete it. Once it is agreed then both parties sign. Any changes can still be added but they will be completed under the Change Management process so all is clear and documented.