How can you say that a requirement is good or perfect?

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As a Business Analyst, along with Gathering Requirements through various Elicitation Techniques and Prioritizing the Requirements using techniques like 100 Dollar Test and MoSCoW, validating these Requirements is also very important.

Validating of a Requirements means checking the requirement for its completeness, accuracy and feasibility. It is the process of checking if the Requirements that have been Gathered and Prioritized agree with the Stakeholders request.

When the gathered requirements are complete, accurate, reliable, feasible and testable, the requirements can be termed as a good or perfect requirement. As a Business Analyst, there are quite a few methods or guidelines to validate a requirement to ensure that the requirement is good or perfect. Few of these methods are mentioned below –

1. FURPS –

This model can be used for classifying software quality attributes –

1. Functionality – Deals with product features. These tell us why the project has been initiated.
2. Usability – Deals with attributes such as logic, the user interface and overall usability.
3. Reliability – Frequency and severity of failure, Accuracy, Recoverability etc.
4. Performance – deals with attributes such as response time, start-up time, shutdown time.
5. Supportability – deals with attributes such as testability, maintainability, compatibility, adaptability etc.
   
   
6. CUCV – There are several qualities that a good or perfect requirement must have, but the most outstanding qualities of a good requirement are –
   1. Clarity – The requirement should be clear. A requirement should be such that it is easily understood by the users.
   1. Understandable – The requirement should not be difficult to understand. Its should be put in an easy manner for everyone to understand by users of all levels.
   1. Consistent – The requirement should not contradict itself. There should be no internal issues with regards to the requirements to avoid contradictions.
   1. Verifiable – The requirement should be put in a manner that that it can be cross checked in the future so that one can clearly identify whether the particular requirement has been met or not.
      
      
7. CAE – This method states that a requirement to be a good requirement should be –
   1. Complete
   1. Accurate
   1. Executable
      
      
8. SMART – SMART is another very widely used method to check if the requirements gathered are well formed. Developing SMART requirements is one of the core-concepts a Business Analyst must know to ensure that their project is an overall success. All good, well-formed requirements should comply with SMART –
   1. Specific – The requirement should be clear, consistent and simple. It should not be ambiguous.
   1. Measurable – The progress towards the completion of the requirement should be measurable. Indicators should be quantifiable.
   1. Attainable – The requirement should be feasible and attainable. It should not be unrealistic.
   1. Reasonable – The effort put behind the requirement should be worthwhile. The requirement should be reasonable and provide a positive return on investment.
   1. Traceable – The requirement should be such that it is traceable from origin through design and to the final implementation.

There are a few more acronyms that can help a business analyst ensure the gathered requirements are good or perfect:

CLEAR

• Collaborative
• Limited
• Emotional
• Appreciable
• Refinable

PURE

• Positively stated
• Understood
• Relevant
• Ethical

CPQQRT

• Context
• Purpose
• Quantity
• Quality
• Resources
• Timing

APVU

• Authorized
• Prioritized
• Verifiable
• Unique