Requirements Glossary from A to Z

What is...G FEATURED Jul 20, 2024 20 mins 23609 Views 0 Comments 3 Likes

A Glossary documents the terms which are specific to a given domain, project, or endeavor. Whether your project is large or small, a glossary of terms will ensure your entire team and your team's stakeholders are on the same page and use the same terminology. A glossary is critical in ensuring crystal clear communication among the project participants; this includes ensuring the project's requirements are clearly undrestood.

Similarly, we wanted to create a requirements glossary in order to clarify many of the key terms related to product requirements and software requirements.

A G Requirements Glossary lossary documents the terms which are specific to a given domain, project, or endeavor. Whether your project is large or small, a glossary of terms will ensure your entire team and your team's stakeholders are on the same page and use the same terminology. A glossary is critical in ensuring crystal clear communication among the project participants; this includes ensuring the project's requirements are clearly undrestood.

Similarly, we wanted to create a requirements glossary in order to clarify many of the key terms related to product requirements and software requirements. We hope you find our Requirements Glossary to be a useful tool for you and your firm.

A - Glossary

Accessibility Requirements
Accessibility requirements ensure that products, services, and environments are usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. These requirements focus on removing barriers that might prevent individuals from accessing information, using products, or participating in activities. In this article, we will explore the key aspects of accessibility requirements, standards and guidelines, and their importance in creating an inclusive society. [More info on Accessibility Requirements]

Accuracy Requirements
Accuracy Requirement refers to the non-functional requirement type which is not a functional, data or process requirement and which is concerned with defining the precision which the solution will record or produce data. [More info on Accuracy Requirements]

Activity Logging Requirements
Activity Logging Requirements refers to ... [More info on Activity Logging Requirements]

Agile Requirements Engineering
Agile Requirements Engineering is an approach that aligns with the Agile methodology, focusing on iterative development, collaboration, and flexibility. Unlike traditional requirements engineering, which typically involves extensive documentation and upfront planning, Agile Requirements Engineering emphasizes adaptability and continuous feedback. [More info on Agile Requirements Engineering]

Allocate Requirements
Allocate Requirements refers to ... [More info on Allocate Requirements]

Requirements Analysis
Requirements Analysis refers to ... [More info on Requirements Analysis]

Requirements Application
Requirements Application refers to ... [More info on Requirements Application]

Architecture Requirements
Architecture Requirements refers to ... [More info on Architecture Requirements]

Auditing and Reporting Requirements
Auditing and Reporting Requirements refers to ... [More info on Auditing and Reporting Requirements]

Authentication Requiremens
Authentication Requirements refers to ... [More info on Authentication Requirements]

Authorization Requirements
Authorization Requirements refers to ... [More info on Authorization Requirements]

Authority Requirements
Authority Requirements refers to ... [More info on Authority Requirements]

Availability Requirements
Availability Requirements refers to any requirements that are not a functional, data or process requirements and which are concerned with defining the periods when the solution (system) can be used or should be in operation. [More info on Availability Requirements]

B - Glossary

Backup and Recovery Requirements
Backup and recovery plans are pivotal components of a robust IT strategy, ensuring that critical data can withstand various disaster scenarios, including system failures, cyberattacks, or physical disasters. [More info on Backup and Recovery Requirements]

Business Requirements
BABOK 2.0 (A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge) states simply that “Business requirements are higher-level statements of the goals, objectives, or needs of the enterprise.” Higher-level is the key term here. Business requirements are what an analyst might show an executive to help him understand the need for the project, not what she would show an engineer to help him build the project.

The purpose of business requirements is to define a project’s business need, as well as the criteria of its success. Business requirements describe why a project is needed, whom it will benefit, when and where it will take place, and what standards will be used to evaluate it. Business requirement generally do not define how a project is to be implemented; the requirements of the business need do not encompass a project’s implementation details. [More info on Business Requirements]

C - Glossary

Capacity Requirements
Capacity Requirements refers to ... [More info on Capacity Requirements]

Requirements Certification
Requirements Certification refers to ... [More info on Requirements Certification]

Confidentiality Requirements
Confidentiality Requirements refers to ... [More info on Confidentiality Requirements]

Requirements Change Control Board
Requirements Change Control Board refers to ... [More info on Requirements Change Control Board]

Communicate Requirements (Communication)
Communicate Requirements refers to ... [More info on Communicate Requirements (Communication)]

Compatibility Requirements
Compatibility Requirements refers to ... [More info on Compatibility Requirements]

Concurrency Requirements
Concurrency Requirements refers to ... [More info on Concurrency Requirements]

Configurability Requirements
Configurability requirements are an essential aspect of software and systems engineering that focus on the ability of a system to be modified, customized, and configured to meet specific user needs and operational conditions without requiring major changes to the core structure. These requirements ensure that a system can be tailored to different environments and use cases, enhancing its flexibility, usability, and long-term viability. Understanding configurability requirements is crucial for developing adaptable and user-friendly systems that can evolve with changing requirements and technologies. [More info on Configurability Requirements]

Customer Requirements
Customer Requirements refers to ... [More info on Customer Requirements]

D - Glossary

Data Requirements
Data Requirements refers to ... [More info on Data Requirements]

Requirements Definition
Requirements Definition refers to ... [More info on Requirements Definition]

Requirements Design
Requirements Design refers to ... [More info on Requirements Design]

Requirements Development
Requirements Development refers to ... [More info on Requirements Development]

Requirements Documentation
Requirements documentation is a detailed description of what a system or project must accomplish. It outlines the functionalities, constraints, and specifications that the end product must adhere to. This documentation serves multiple purposes. [More info on Requirements Documentation]

E - Glossary

Requirements Education
Requirements are basic to business analysis, and so requirements education is basic to business analysts. “All team members who will function as analysts should receive basic training in requirements engineering,”[1] notes Wiegers in his modern analysis classic Software Requirements. Honing your craft is both admirable and achievable, and you have numerous, helpful outlets at your disposal. The method that you choose is contingent on several things, including how much requirements experience you already have and whether your background is in software development, technical writing, or something else. [More info on Requirements Education]

Requirements Elicitation
A thorough discovery of business requirements is almost never readily available at an analyst’s fingertips—rarely can requirements be quickly looked up as one would gather information for a term paper or study for a test. Much of business or technical requirements is not documented anywhere—it resides in the minds of stakeholders, in feedback that has yet to be obtained from end users, and from a study of flowcharts and surveys that have yet to be created. And so requirements must be elicited, or drawn out, and the methodology in doing so must be logical and meticulous... The purpose of requirements elicitation, therefore, is to thoroughly identify the business needs, risks, and assumptions associated with any given project. [More info on Requirements Elicitation]

Requirements Engineer
Requirements Engineer refers to ... [More info on Requirements Engineer]

Requirements Engineering
Requirements engineering is the process of gathering, analyzing, documenting, and managing the needs and requirements of stakeholders for a new or modified product. It encompasses various activities aimed at understanding and defining what the stakeholders require from the system and ensuring that these requirements are met throughout the project lifecycle. [More info on Requirements Engineering]

Enterprise Requirements
Enterprise Requirements refers to ... [More info on Enterprise Requirements]

Error-Handling Requirements
Error-Handling Requirements refers to ... [More info on Error-Handling Requirements]

Requirements Estimation
Requirements Estimation refers to ... [More info on Requirements Estimation]

F - Glossary

Functional Requirements
Functional requirements are detailed, measurable specifications of what the system must do. They describe how the system reacts to specific inputs, how it behaves under particular conditions, and what outputs it produces. These requirements are typically derived from user needs and business processes and are crucial in translating user expectations into technical specifications. A well-defined functional requirement will include a clear and detailed description of the system's intended behavior, the conditions under which this behavior is expected, and the specific inputs and outputs involved. [More info on Functional Requirements]

G - Glossary

Requirements Gathering
Requirements gathering is the process of identifying, documenting, and managing the needs and requirements of stakeholders for a particular project or system. This process ensures that the end product or system aligns with the stakeholders' expectations and business objectives. The main goal of requirements gathering is to create a clear, comprehensive, and unambiguous set of requirements that will guide the development and implementation phases of the project. [More info on Requirements Gathering]

H - Glossary

High-Level Requirements
High-level requirements are the cornerstone of initial project planning, serving as the blueprint for what the project aims to achieve. These requirements encapsulate the primary objectives and key functionalities that the project or system must deliver. Unlike detailed specifications, high-level requirements focus on the big picture, providing a strategic overview rather than technical specifics. They address fundamental questions such as "What is the project intended to accomplish?" and "Why is this project being undertaken?" This broad focus helps ensure that all subsequent planning and development efforts align with the overall vision and goals. [More info on High-level Requirements]

I - Glossary

Identify Requirements
Identify Requirements refers to ... [More info on Identify Requirements]

Information Requirements
Information Requirements refers to ... [More info on Information Requirements]

Requirements Inspections
Requirements Inspections refers to ... [More info on Requirements Inspections]

Installability Requirements
Installability Requirements refers to ... [More info on Installability Requirements]

Integrity Requirements
Integrity Requirements refers to ... [More info on Integrity Requirements]

IT Requirements
IT requirements are detailed specifications that describe the necessary functions, features, and constraints of an IT system or solution. They form the foundation for project planning, development, and implementation, ensuring that the final product meets the needs and expectations of stakeholders. IT requirements can encompass a wide range of aspects, including hardware, software, network infrastructure, security protocols, and user interfaces. [More info on IT Requirements]

J - Glossary

Jurisdictional Requirement
Jurisdictional requirements refer to the specific legal, regulatory, and procedural obligations that a business must meet within a particular geographic area or jurisdiction. These requirements can vary widely depending on the location, industry, and nature of the business operations. They encompass everything from tax laws and employment regulations to environmental standards and data protection laws. [More info on Jurisdictional Requirement]

K - Glossary

Knowledge Requirement
Knowledge Requirement refers to ... [More info on Knowledge Requirement]

L - Glossary

Legal and Regulatory Requirements
Legal and Regulatory Requirements refers to ... [More info on Legal and Regulatory Requirements]

Licensing Requirements
Licensing Requirements refers to ... [More info on Licensing Requirements]

Localizability Requirements
Localizability Requirements refers to ... [More info on Localizability Requirements]

M - Glossary

Maintain Requirements
Maintain Requirements refers to ... [More info on Maintain Requirements]

Maintainability Requirements
Maintainability Requirements refers to ... [More info on Maintainability Requirements]

Requirements Management
Requirements Management refers to ... [More info on Requirements Management]

Model Requirements
Model Requirements refers to ... [More info on Model Requirements]

N - Glossary

Network Requirements
Network Requirements refers to ... [More info on Network Requirements]

Non-Functional Requirements
Non-functional requirements are characteristics of a system or solution which describe non-behavioral characteristics or qualities of a system. Non Functional Requirements have also been called the 'ilities': usability, reliability, interoperability, scalability, extensibility, etc. Non-functional requirements are also commonly referred to as quality of service (QoS) requirements or service-level requirements. [More info on Non Functional Requirements]

Non-Repudiation Requirements
Non-Repudiation Requirements refers to ... [More info on Non-Repudiation Requirements]

O - Glossary

Object Oriented Requirements
Object Oriented Requirements refers to ... [More info on Object Oriented Requirements]

Organizing Requirements
The voluminous amounts of information that an analyst collects during the discovery and elicitation phases warrant a good deal of planning and organization in order to make business or user requirements into a usable, cohesive whole. As with any other organization process, the key element to requirements’ organization success is thorough preparation and planning. There are two main objectives when organizing requirements: (1) to understand which models are appropriate to include based on the business need, and (2) to understand and clearly communicate the interdependencies and relationships between the various requirements. [More info on Organizing Requirements]

P - Glossary

Requirements Package
Requirements Package refers to ... [More info on Requirements Package]

Requirements Pattern
Requirements Pattern refers to ... [More info on Requirements Pattern]

Performance Requirements
Performance Requirements refers to ... [More info on Performance Requirements]

Requirements Planning
Requirements Planning refers to ... [More info on Requirements Planning]

Precision Requirements
Precision Requirements refers to ... [More info on Precision Requirements]

Requirements Prioritization
Requirements Prioritization refers to ... [More info on Requirements Prioritization]

Requirements Prioritization
Excellent requirements prioritization is essential to any well-run project. It ensures that the project focuses on the most important elements first, and that everyone understands and agrees regarding what the project’s most important elements are. Good prioritization of requirements will also ensure that engineers, programmers and database analysts develop a project’s most critical elements in sync with the business needs. [More info on Requirements Prioritization]

Requirements Process
Requirements Process refers to ... [More info on Requirements Process]

Product Entrepreneur
Product Entrepreneur refers to ... [More info on Product Entrepreneur]

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) refers to ... [More info on Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)]

Product Requirements
Product Requirements refers to all the requirements a certain product needs to meet in order to fulfill its intended purpose and goals. Besides customer needs, the product requirements include all functions, features and behaviours that the product must possess, so that it will be efficient, easy to use, safe, effective and meet the needs of its customers. This includes any function, constraint, or other property that is required in order to satisfy the users' needs. [More info on Product Requirements]

Product Requirements Document (PRD)
Product Requirements Document (PRD) refers to ... [More info on Product Requirements Document (PRD)]

Project Requirements
Project Requirements refers to ... [More info on Project Requirements]

Q - Glossary

R - Glossary

Requirements
Requirements define precisely what you are going to create or accomplish—what the effort will include, what it will not include, how it will be done, and by whom. Requirements often also include ancillary (but relevant) information such as possible risks to the project and criteria by which to measure the project's success. To illustrate this information for the reader, requirements may include not only clearly written text, but charts, graphs, diagrams, use cases, and mock-ups, to name just a few tools in the business analyst's box. BABOK 2.0 defines requirements as including but not being limited to "past, pres¬ent, and future conditions or capabilities in an enterprise, and descriptions of organiza¬tional structures, roles, processes, policies, rules, and information systems." In short, requirements can be about any existing or future system, product, process or procedure. [More info on Requirements]

Redundancy Requirements
Redundancy Requirements refers to ... [More info on Redundancy Requirements]

Requirements Capture Language (RCL)
Requirements Capture Language (RCL) refers to ... [More info on Requirements Capture Language (RCL)]

Reliability Requirements
Reliability Requirements refers to ... [More info on Reliability Requirements]

Report Requirements
Report Requirements refers to a subset, of a project's requirements, which deal with the details needed to capture the business need related to what reports need to be generated. The report requirements would generally include information such as the purpose of a report, its justification, attributes and columns, runtime parameters, look and feel requirements, etc. [More info on Report Requirements]

Response-Time Requirements
Response-Time Requirements refers to ... [More info on Response-Time Requirements]

Requirements Reuse
Requirements Reuse refers to ... [More info on Requirements Reuse]

S - Glossary

Scalability Requirements
Scalability Requirements refers to ... [More info on Scalability Requirements]

Security Requirements
Security requirements refer to the specific measures that a system or application must meet to guard against potential threats and vulnerabilities. These requirements aren't just another box to check; they play a fundamental role in shaping the design, development, and ongoing management of secure systems. Understanding and effectively implementing security requirements is crucial for any organization committed to safeguarding its assets and maintaining the trust of its users. [More info on Security Requirements]

Security Quality Requirements Engineering (SQUARE)
Security Quality Requirements Engineering (SQUARE) is a requirements engineering process developed by the Software Engineering Institute’s (SEI) CERT® Program at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). SQUARE is a nine-step process that delivers categorized, prioritized, and validated security requirements. SQUARE prioritizes requirements based on completed risk assessment and requirement categorization steps. [More info on Security Quality Requirements Engineering (SQUARE)]

Requirements Signoff
Requirements Signoff refers to ... [More info on Requirements Signoff]

Small Business Requirements
Small Business Requirements refers to ... [More info on Small Business Requirements]

Software Requirements
Software Requirements refers to ... [More info on Software Requirements]

Solution Requirements
Solution Requirements refers to ... [More info on Solution Requirements]

Requirements Specification
Requirements Specification refers to ... [More info on Requirements Specification]

Stakeholder Requirements
Stakeholder Requirements refers to ... [More info on Stakeholder Requirements]

Requirements Standards
Requirements Standards refers to ... [More info on Requirements Standards]

Startup and Shutdown Requirements
Startup and Shutdown Requirements refers to ... [More info on Startup and Shutdown Requirements]

Stress Requirements
Stress Requirements refers to ... [More info on Stress Requirements]

Supplementary Requirements
Supplementary Requirements refers to ... [More info on Supplementary Requirements]

Supportability Requirements
Supportability Requirements refers to ... [More info on Supportability Requirements]

System Requirements
System requirements refer to the specifications needed for a software application, game, or any digital tool to operate efficiently on a computer system. These requirements can encompass a broad range of components, including hardware, software, and connectivity aspects. Meeting these requirements ensures that the software runs smoothly without performance issues or compatibility problems. [More info on System Requirements]

T - Glossary

Technical Requirements
Technical Requirements refers to ... [More info on Technical Requirements]

Requirements Testing
Requirements Testing refers to ... [More info on Requirements Testing]

Testing Requirements
Testing Requirements refers to ... [More info on Testing Requirements]

Throughput Requirements
Throughput Requirements refers to ... [More info on Throughput Requirements]

Requirements Tool
Requirements Tool refers to ... [More info on Requirements Tool]

Requirements Traceability
Requirements traceability refers to the capability of a requirements management process or tool which enables the process participant or tool user to follow the life of a requirement both forwards and backwards. It also refers the the ability to link requirements (via specific relationships) to other constructs or artifacts of the product development lifecycle. [More info on Requirements Traceability]

Requirements Training
Requirements Training refers to ... [More info on Requirements Training]

Training Requirements
Training Requirements refers to ... [More info on Training Requirements]

Transition Requirements
Transition Requirements refers to ... [More info on Transition Requirements]

Turnaround-Time Requirements
Turnaround-Time Requirements refers to ... [More info on Turnaround-Time Requirements]

U - Glossary

Usability Requirements
Usability Requirements refers to ... [More info on Usability Requirements]

User Interface (UI) Requirements
User Interface (UI) Requirements ... [More info on User Interface (UI) Requirements]

User Requirements
User Requirements refers to ... [More info on User Requirements]

V - Glossary

Validate Requirements
Validate Requirements refers to ... [More info on Validate Requirements]

Verify Requirements (Requirements Verification)
Verify Requirements (Requirements Verification) refers to ... [More info on Verify Requirements (Requirements Verification)]

Requirements Visualization (Visualize Requirements)
Requirements Visualization (Visualize Requirements) refers to ... [More info on Requirements Visualization (Visualize Requirements)]

W - Glossary

Website Requirements
Website Requirements refers to ... [More info on Website Requirements]

Requirements Workshops
Requirements Workshops refers to ... [More info on Requirements Workshops]

Writing Requirements
Writing Requirements refers to ... [More info on Writing Requirements]

X - Glossary

Y - Glossary

Z - Glossary

Zebra Requirements
We told you it's A through Z! A Zebra Requirement is the requirement which, when you see it for the first time, you wonder "How did they come up with this one?" Have you ever worked on a project dealing with cows only to stumble upon requirements about zebras?