Definition
Understanding Requirement
In the world of Agile, innovation, and product management, a Requirement is a statement that identifies a necessary attribute, capability, characteristic, or quality of a system in order for it to have value and utility to a user. The term is used to capture what a system, product, or service should do or have, at a variety of levels of detail and perspectives.
Types of Requirements
- Functional Requirements: These define what a system is supposed to do. They describe the functions and features of the system or product.
- Non-functional Requirements: These specify how the system should behave and set the standards for system performance.
- Business Requirements: These are high-level needs of the organization as a whole, or a large part of it.
- User Requirements: These are the needs of the users, often represented in terms of user stories in Agile methodologies.
Importance of Requirements
Requirements are fundamental in the development process as they guide the design, development, testing, and maintenance stages. They ensure that the final product meets the needs of the user and the business. In Agile methodologies, requirements are often captured as user stories and are iteratively refined and clarified.
Usage Examples
1. In an Agile project, the Product Owner might write a requirement as a user story: ‘As a website user, I want to be able to reset my password so that I can regain access to my account.’
2. For a banking software, a functional requirement might be: ‘The system must allow the user to withdraw cash from their checking account.’
3. A non-functional requirement for a mobile application might be: ‘The app must load within 3 seconds on a standard 4G connection.’
Historical Context
The concept of ‘Requirement’ has been in use since the early days of system and software development. However, with the advent of Agile methodologies in the early 2000s, the approach to requirements has shifted from a detailed upfront specification to an iterative and incremental definition and refinement process.
Misconceptions
- Requirements are fixed and cannot be changed: In Agile, requirements are expected to evolve and be refined throughout the project.
- All requirements are equally important: In reality, requirements should be prioritized based on their value to the user and the business.
Comparisons
- Requirement vs Specification: A requirement is a need that a product must meet, while a specification is a detailed description of that requirement.
- Requirement vs User Story: A requirement is a general term for what a product should do or have, while a user story is a specific format for expressing requirements in Agile methodologies, focusing on user value.
Related Concepts
- User Story
- Product Backlog
- Use Case
- Specification
