Functional Requirements Specification Template

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What is it?

A Functional Requirements Specification describes what is required to meet the users' business needs. Functional requirements specify which actions the design must provide in order to benefit the system's users. Functional requirements are determined by the needs, user, and task analysis of the current system.

Who uses it?
Technical Architect, Business Analyst, Development Manager, Project Manager, IT Manager, System Administrator, Test Manager, Documentation Manager.

When is it used?
Requirement specifications are often written as "must" or "shall". For example, "the system must delete all redundant files after 90 days." Requirements describe the system/ software / component must do and the operational constraints. Examples of requirements include functional, performance, interface, and quality requirements.

Table of Contents

1    Overview
1.1    Purpose of this document
1.2    Scope of this document
1.3    Document Overview
1.4    Identification
1.5    Relationship to Other Plans
1.6    Related Documents
1.7    Key Stakeholders
1.8    Points of Contact
1.9    Traceability

2    Current System
2.1    Background
2.2    Application Overview
2.3    System Objectives
2.4    Current Methods and Procedures
2.4.1    Equipment
2.4.2    Input and Output
2.4.3    Provisions
2.4.4    Deficiencies
2.5    Business Context
2.6    Organization Profile
2.7    Business Functions
2.8    Component Description

3    Requirements Specifications
3.1    Introduction
3.1.1    Goals
3.1.2    System Users
3.1.3    Assumptions
3.2    System Description
3.2.1    System Overview and Environment
3.2.2    Functional Structure and Inter-relationships
3.3    Functional Requirements
3.4    User Roles
3.5    System Operational Requirements
3.6    Input and Output Requirements
3.7    Performance Requirements
3.8    Communication Requirements
3.9    Communications Requirements
3.9.1    Communications Overview
3.9.2    Communications Hardware
3.9.3    Communications Software
3.10    Security Requirements
3.11    Hardware Requirements
3.11.1    Hardware Functionality
3.11.2    Hardware Characteristics
3.12    Software Requirements
3.12.1    Software Functionality
3.12.2    Software Characteristics
3.13    Usability Requirements
3.14    Data Requirements
3.14.1    Data Structures and Relationships
3.14.2    Data Framework and Relationships
3.14.3    Data Inputs
3.14.4    Data Outputs
3.14.5    Interfunctional Data Definitions
3.14.6    Component Cross Reference
3.15    Functional Component Specifications

4    Proposed Methods and Procedures
4.1    Improvements
4.1.1    Functional Improvements
4.1.2    Improvements to Existing Capabilities
4.1.3    Timeliness
4.2    Impacts
4.2.1    User Organizational Impacts
4.2.2    User Operational Impacts
4.2.3    User Developmental Impacts
4.3    Product Functions
4.4    Similar System Information
4.5    User Characteristics
4.6    User Problem Statement
4.7    User Objectives

5    Design Constraints
5.1    Software Design Constraints
5.1.1    Software Interfaces
5.1.2    Software Packages
5.1.3    Database
5.1.4    Operating System
5.1.5    Tolerance, Margins and Contingency
5.2    Hardware Design Constraints
5.2.1    Hardware Requirements and Environment
5.2.2    Hardware Standards
5.2.3    Hardware Interfaces
5.2.4    Capacity
5.3    User Interface Constraints
5.3.1    User Characteristics
5.3.2    Environment/Operational Constraints

6    Detailed Characteristics
6.1    System Description
6.2    System Functions
6.3    Flexibility
6.4    Performance Requirements
6.4.1    Accuracy
6.4.2    Timing
6.4.3    Capacity Limits
6.5    Functional Area System Functions
6.6    Input and Output
6.7    Failure Contingencies

7    Functional Requirement [x]

8    Resources
8.1    Personnel Requirements

9    Appendixes
9.1    Support Material
9.2    Glossary of Terms
9.3    Acronyms and Abbreviations

Index of Tables

Table 1 — Functional Requirements Matrix
Table 2 — User Roles
Table 3 — Resources
Table 4 — Glossary of Terms
Table 5 — Acronyms and Abbreviations

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Related Documents

Definitons

A software requirements definition is an abstract description of the services which the system should provide and the constraints under which the system must operate; requirements may be either functional or non-functional requirements.

Functional requirement specifies a function that a system or component must be able to perform. [IEEE Std 610.12]

Requirement: a statement of need concerning a condition or capability that must be met or possessed by a system or component to satisfy a contract, standard, or specification. The sum of all requirements forms the basis for the
subsequent development of the system.

Specification: a document that specifies, in a precise, verifiable manner, the requirements, design, behavior or other characteristics of a system or component. (IEEE Std 610.12-1990)