REQUIREMENTS SPECIFICATIONS

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFICATIONS

A. SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

Software requirements represent a documented statement of user needs, necessary features, functions, attributes, or capabilities the system must have to solve a problem, achieve an objective, or under specific conditions. Requirement specification provides details on what the system is expected to do from outside or put under constraints, contracts, standards, or specifications in terms of its expected behavior, constraints, and properties. Software requirements document plays a central role in the entire software development process. To start with, it is needed in the project planning and feasibility phase.

Basically, it makes sure that the planning process has clear, well-defined user needs and project constraints, bringing to the software development lifecycle that clear focus. It provides also the details needed to evaluate whether it is really possible to successfully conclude the software project from a technical, financial, and operational viewpoint before such an investment of important resources.

Other activities of user documentation and testing of the system would also require this document for their deliverables. On the other hand, the project manager would need it for monitoring and tracking the progress of the project and if necessary, changing the scope of the project by modifying the said document through the change control process.

B. STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are interested people in the software. They can be the actual user but that is not usually the case. Their input is indeed crucial for shaping the software requirements but a requirement engineer should be careful. Stakeholders have a tendency to state requirements in very general and vague terms. Sometimes they trivialize things. 

C. CONTEXT DIAGRAM

A context diagram is a high-level graphical representation that describes the boundary of a system being developed and its environment, identifying those external entities, termed terminators, which interact with the system, and describing the flow of data or material between those entities and the system. A high-level abstraction in a dataflow diagram is the context diagram, which, according to the principles of structured analysis, may be placed within documents like a vision and scope document or even the Software Requirements Specification.

D. USE CASE MODEL

A use-case diagram is a graphical representation that shows how a system is to be used, showing the collaboration of actors that are external to the system-an actor is an external entity, a user, or another system-and the use cases of the system. It indicates the boundaries of the system by showing the entire functionality a system processes from initiation to the completion of a request from an actor. The system can be treated like a "black box," only focusing on its outer interface, thus providing a clear description of what the system should do. Use-case diagrams help capture functional requirements, guide developers in the process of development, assist testers in verifying the system, and help trace requirements into actual system components.

E. BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS

The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management tool for designing new business models or for documenting existing ones. It presents a visual chart which possesses the main elements of a business: value proposition, infrastructure, customer segments, and financials. By using this tool, businesses can make their operations better because it highlights possible trade-offs and fosters a clearer understanding of the overall strategy.