Requirements Should Help People Decide, Not Just Describe
Most requirements describe something accurately and still fail the team. They tell people what a thing is without helping them decide what to do about it.
Description is the easy part
It is not hard to write that a system shall do something. It is harder to say why it matters, how important it is relative to everything else, and how anyone will know it is done.
What a useful requirement carries
A requirement that helps people decide usually includes:
- The purpose behind it, in plain language
- Acceptance criteria the customer has agreed to
- Its priority relative to other work
- Known constraints and dependencies
- An owner who can answer questions about it
Ambiguity is an unmade decision
When a requirement is vague, it is often because someone has not yet made a choice. Calling that out is more useful than rewriting the sentence. Find the person who can decide, and get the decision recorded.
Acceptance criteria are a conversation
Acceptance criteria written without the customer tend to be rewritten after the first rejected deliverable. Agree on them early. On federal work, that conversation is one of the best ways to build trust after award.
Keep requirements close to the work
Requirements stored in a document no one opens do not guide anything. Keep them connected to the backlog, the schedule, and the tests, so the people doing the work can see what they are building toward.
This is a large part of how Addoh & Co approaches product strategy and delivery and contractor delivery support.