In this guide 6 sections
Prepare a one-page problem statement, real samples of your documents, a list of rules and exceptions, and the names of people who will test. You do not need technical language. A development team needs to see how the work runs today and what a good outcome looks like.
Write the problem on one page
A requirement starts as a problem, not a feature list. Write who has the problem, what goes wrong today and what a better week would look like. Keep it to a single page.
State what the work costs you in plain terms. Name the delays, the rework and the checks done by hand. Avoid naming screens or technology, because that choice belongs to the team.
End the page with what is out of scope. This single section prevents many later disagreements.
Collect real documents, not descriptions
A description of an invoice is weaker than the invoice. Gather real samples and remove private details. A team can read a document faster than it can read an explanation of one.
Include the messy ones too. Corrected invoices, handwritten notes and half-filled forms show how the work really runs.
- Sample invoices, quotations and delivery notes
- Current spreadsheets with a few real rows
- Reports that management reads today
- Forms, registers and WhatsApp messages used as records
- Screenshots of any software already in use
List rules, exceptions and approvals
Every business runs on rules that nobody wrote down. Who approves a discount above a limit? What happens when stock is short? Which customers get special terms?
Write each rule as a short sentence. Next to it, write the exception. Exceptions are where software projects gain or lose time.
Name the person who can confirm each rule. A team will need quick answers, and a named contact avoids long waits.
Decide who will test and who will decide
Pick one decision owner. This person answers questions, approves changes and speaks for the business. Also pick two or three daily users who will test each release.
Put their review time in the calendar before work starts. A project often slows because the people who know the work are too busy to look at it.
A short weekly review is usually enough. Missing it is what delays things.
Questions a good team will ask you
A good team asks more than it promises. Expect questions about your busiest day, your exceptions, your data and your reports. Expect a question on what a successful first release would contain.
Treat vague confidence as a warning. If a vendor quotes without asking about your rules, the quote probably rests on assumptions. Ask to see them in writing.
Software requirement preparation checklist
A one-page checklist with five blocks: problem statement, sample documents, rules with exceptions, named owners and testers, and questions for vendors. Tick each block when complete. Share the finished pack with every vendor so that their quotes rest on the same facts.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Do we need a formal requirement document?
Not at the start. A one-page problem statement, samples and a list of rules are enough for a first conversation. A detailed document follows in discovery.
Should we choose the technology before hiring?
No. Describe the work and let the team propose the technology. Ask them to explain the reason for each choice.
What if our process is not fully clear yet?
Say so. A short discovery stage can map the process before the build is priced.
How much of our time will the project need?
It depends on the project. Plan for a decision owner and a few daily users to review work every week.