What is the purpose of the Requirement Traceability Matrix?

Requirement Traceability Metrix
What is an RTM?
A Requirement Traceability Metrix is a document that establishes the relationship between original requirement and other artifacts used in the project. The Requirement traceability Metrics is used to ascertain that the requirement has been fulfilled.
Traceability: Requirement Traceability is ability to establish the connections between requirement and other artifacts of the project under discussion.
Type of traceability: There are 3 types of traceability that RTM can establish
1. Forward
2. Backward
3. Bidirectional
Who Prepares RTM?
Generally, the test engineer will prepare the RTM for the module or functionality in scope.
The RTM is designed in a such a way that each requirement has a corresponding test case and every test case is written basis the underlying requirement.
The RTM is prepared before the execution of test case to make sure that the project team has not missed any requirements and project is complete in all respects.
Purpose of the Requirement Traceability Metrix:
The Purpose of the Requirement traceability Metrix can be outlined as below:
1. Tracing the Requirements:
The Requirement traceability Metrix helps in tracing the requirement as received from the stakeholder and makes sure that all the requirement defined and received from the business stakeholders have been developed and will be tested and delivered as per the commitment.

2. Monitoring:
The Requirement traceability Metrix is a document that lists down all the requirements for the product or software. The Requirement Traceability Metrix is regularly updated with the latest status of the requirements under development which why it serves as a tool for monitoring the progress of the project.
3. Planning:
Since the Requirement Traceability Metrix helps in tracking the progress of the project in terms of latest status of every requirement under development, The Requirement Traceability Metrix also helps in taking the strategic decisions in case of any deviations from the planned delivery timelines. Planning and communicating the delivery timelines as per the progress observed in The Requirement Traceability Metrix can help in improved client satisfaction and save us a disappointment and escalations.
4. Testing:
The Requirement Traceability Metrix is a document that gives extensive coverage to every requirement depicted by the client or business stakeholder. Test Engineers or Project Managers make sure that there are no miss outs in terms of requirement in Requirement traceability Metrix.
This extensive coverage of the requirement helps testing team to build test plan based on RTM and helps in conducting in depth testing of the product or functionality built by the development team. It not only makes sure that the development team is building the product right but the team is building the right product.
5. Delivery Management:
The Requirement traceability Metrics contains the live status of requirements under development. The status of all the requirement can be great help to project manager in taking strategic decisions and corrective actions in case the progress of the project is not as devised or expected.
Benefits of the Requirement traceability Metrix:
The Benefits of the Requirement traceability Metrix can be listed as below
1. The RTM serves as a concise input for strategic decision making
2. The RTM can help plan the delivery or release of the product or feature as per the progress observed.
3. The RTM can help the team to visualize the progress of the project.
4. The RTM can help in tracing all the requirements and their fulfilment.
5. The RTM can be used in creation test plan or test cases around the requirements listed in it.
6. The RTM can serve as great repository in case if there are queries from the digital audit of the system under development.