Telling Stories: A Short Path to Writing Better Software Requirements

Appendix A. Software Requirements Document Template

The template that follows is useful as a starting point for your documents. All the material has been covered elsewhere in the book. The template merely lays out all the recommended sections in order with some brief explanations. I have described other potential sections elsewhere in the book, but these are the ones I really believe in.

Executive Summary

Write the project team's fundamental recommendations, stated as bulleted requirements for the solution (see Chapter 7, "And Finally, the Beginning," for an example of a complete executive summary with content).

Problem and Context

Describe the problem to be solved and the overall operating environment. Point out what functions depend on this system and also on what the system depends.

The Requirements Gathering Process

Describe the process that created the requirements. Show that the work is the outcome of a methodical, credible, and collaborative effort, and not the author's alone. Explain which stakeholders contributed to the document, and something about the process of creating and reviewing the document.

General Considerations

Analyze the issues, risks, dependencies, or anything else that might affect the project. Try to anticipate and answer the main questions that will arise from the recommendations. Be careful not to include too much; two or three paragraphs are best.

Scope

List what processes the project will and will not address. The scope statement must express the team's priorities. ...