Why Requirements Management is an important aspect of npd Project Management

In any npd Project, there exist Requirements either from Marketing or Product Management teams. There could be a template for capturing requirements or those could be in a simple document in the form of a list.

Whatever may be the format, requirements are the most important building blocks of npd Project Management.

What are the Requirements?

As per general understanding, most of the Project Managers think that Product Specifications are the only requirements to be taken care of. Though it is true, Project Requirements not only include product specifications, but other things like specific conditions or quantified needs from sponsors and stakeholders.

Requirements are closely tied to overall planning, cost, quality and finally, acceptance of project deliverables by customers.

This is how you can handle requirements management in an efficient manner.

# Document the Requirements

It is the best practice to have all the requirements compiled together in a document. Requirements may change as the project progresses, but those should be properly documented. It is seen that requirements are floating over emails and during the closure of project, it becomes very difficult to verify and validate requirements.

Having all the requirements in one place can give you better control in managing them.

# Keep them Unambiguous

All the requirements should be stated in an unambiguous manner. There should not be any scope for creating confusion about the requirements.

The best way to do that is to ensure the requirements are measurable and testable. That takes away subjectivity and creates clear understanding among all the stakeholders.

# Get them agreed by all the Stakeholders

Requirements should be agreed by all the stakeholders. For that, it is essential to document all the requirements and run through them with stakeholders before signing off.

A meeting with stakeholders to freeze requirements can save a lot of time and efforts at the closure of project.

# Categorize them

It is the best practice to categorize the requirements under Project Requirements and Product Requirements. Also, sub-categorization under them can give a very clear and systematic picture of all the requirements.

Project requirements will include all the requirements from a business point of view like adherence to contracts and compliances till transition from current state to new state. Project requirements can also include specific requirements by stakeholders and the need for training etc.

Product requirements will include all the technical specifications and all functional and performance requirements. If your project is highly technology intensive, then you should be very careful in drafting technical requirements, because it can have a major impact on timelines and cost.

# Make them Traceable

Ensure that all the requirements are traceable with regards to originator, business needs those requirements are going to satisfy, exact deliverables required to meet those requirements and test cases if any.

The best way is to maintain Requirements Traceability Matrix and keep updating it.

# Manage Changes in Requirements

Depending on the size and nature of projects, requirements may change while the project is in progress. There could be some specific customer demands which cannot be avoided. In that case, newly added requirements should be properly documented to avoid any ambiguity at the closure of the project.

All the changes in requirements should be signed off by stakeholders and it is your responsibility to highlight changes in schedule and cost due to changes in requirements. That can avoid hassle during approval of deliverables.

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