Guide to Software Requirements Specification (SRS)
Mobindustry Corp.
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Building software without any documented requirements is like building a house without a blueprint — this will only lead to chaos and failed expectations. Learn how to properly document your software requirements and make sure you get exactly what you need from your development vendor.
Web or?mobile application development?is a complex process, where any tiny issue or task has endless solutions. There are so many technologies, third-party services, frameworks, and libraries to choose from, that it’s simple to lose focus. The business solutions to certain problems are even more vast: there are endless ways to build your app’s user experience and business logic, and this may cause confusion.
Approaching development without some sort of a documentation and a plan is a way to fail the whole project. Some business owners prefer to jump right into development, but from my experience it always ends in broken deadlines, failed expectations and going over budget
Leyla Orudjeva, business analyst at Mobindustry
Often, when clients discuss what they’d like to see in the application or on their website, developers interpret it their way based on their previous experience. Because humans haven’t learned to read each other’s minds, vague tasks and preferences often lead to misunderstandings and frustration.?
This is why good software development vendors never work without clear requirements that are properly documented. The software requirement specification is one of the most important documents in software development, and in this article, you’ll learn how it helps to manage expectations and organize the development process.
What is a Software requirement specification?
A software requirement specification is a comprehensive document that describes your future project in detail: from its functionality and features to technologies and exact ways they should be implemented.?
Writing an SRS is one of the first?stages of mobile app development?or web development.
A software requirement specification describes the goals of your project and the ways your software will achieve these goals. Basically, this document guarantees that you get exactly what you expect, and what’s best for your business.?
System requirements specification vs Software requirements specification vs Functional requirements specification
Before we start talking about the software requirements specification, its importance, and best practices of its creation, let’s clarify the difference between other types of specifications.?
Many specialists use the terms System and Software requirement specification interchangeably, but there’s a slight difference between these two types of documents.?
A system requirement specification is more focused on technical details and describes the system requirements such as hardware, network connection, and a tech stack. A software requirement specification also covers these details but also includes business logic, use cases, and many other details.?
So, a software requirement specification is more comprehensive than a system requirement specification.?
The functional specification is focused on functions and features of the future software, it describes the business logic and contains concrete metrics that will allow the team to find out if their solution corresponds to the business goals and requirements.?
Why is SRS important??
I want to dedicate a separate paragraph to the importance of SRS in software development, just because some business owners choose to skip this part of the development process, and then pay way more money for fixing the technical and organizational issues on the project.?
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SRS allows you to avoid any guessing games or improvisation on your project, and you can be sure you get exactly what you want after investing in development
The importance of SRS is immense: it not only describes how your future project should look and perform, but it also serves as a communication tool for you and your team. Software requirement specification allows all team members to be on the same page and resolve any misunderstandings quickly by simply looking at the documentation.?
SRS allows you to avoid any guessing games or improvisation on your project, and you can be sure you get exactly what you want after investing in development. An SRS document is the best reference for all your team members, something you can rely on.
What is the structure of an SRS?
An SRS is a complex document that contains everything you and your team need to know about the project. The deliverables within the SRS document include:
Out of all these project details, functional and non-functional requirements are the most important: you’ll probably spend the bulk of your time formulating them. Let’s talk about these types of requirements in detail.
Functional and technical requirements of SRS — what is the difference?
Functional and non-functional requirements are the most important part of your SRS documentation. They describe the functionality of your future product, its business logic, and its performance.?
So, what’s the difference between functional and non-functional requirements? Let’s find out.?
Functional requirements
This type of requirements describes the functionality and features of your future software. They include all features that make up the user journey and allow your users to achieve their goals and complete tasks.?
For example, if you’re building a parcel delivery application, your users will require various features to track and pick up their parcels. Your functional requirements will include features like personal profiles, login, onboarding, parcel tracking, location tracking, ability to edit personal information, QR-code scanner for picking up the parcel, and so on. The feature list will depend on your business operations and services.
So, the functional requirements show how your software will work, and how it will respond to different inputs and interactions with users.
Non-functional requirements
Non-functional or technical requirements show how your software will perform, and what qualities it will have. Here are some examples of non-functional requirements:
Non-functional requirements define all the aspects of the user interaction with your software. For example, if the status of the parcel delivery changes, how should your user be notified about it? How fast?
How to create a Software requirement specification
How do you write an SRS document??If you'd like to know more about this, please check our full article at Mobindustry.net.