Write and Trace Requirements

Write requirements in a document, check their quality, get them approved and keep them under control.

1. Open Needs & Requirements → Documents and click + New Document. Choose a type, name and number, then a template (Blank or a built-in outline) and Finish.
2. Type each requirement in the quick entry bar under the document and press Enter. Choose Under … in the section list to add it inside a section. With an item selected, ⌘↵ adds a sibling and ⌥⌘↵ a child.
3. Select a requirement. The inspector on the right shows its attributes: set Priority, Criticality, Verification Method and Level, Owner and Source. Add them as document columns with ⚙ View ▾ → Display Options….
4. Mark open values: set TBD/TBR to TBD or TBR with a TBD Owner and Due Date, or write TBD in the text. They appear on Needs & Requirements → TBD/TBR.
5. Check the wording: More ▾ → Quality Check. Fix requirements that score low, or select one and use ✦ AI ▾ → Make Measurable… or Split into Singular Requirements…. See Run a Quality Check.
6. Trace each requirement: in the inspector's Relationships, add satisfied by (a function or asset) and verified by (a test case). For many at once use the Traceability Matrix.
7. Send them for review: set Status to In Review. Reviewers open Needs & Requirements → Approvals and use Approve or Reject… in the Entity View. Editing an approved requirement's text moves it back to In Review.
8. When a requirement changes, the items linked downstream are flagged. Review them on Needs & Requirements → Suspect Links and clear the flags.
9. Freeze the document: Baselines tab in the left pane → + Create Baseline, with a name and the approvers. Compare baselines later with Baseline Change Report.

Related

Documents · Requirements, Status and Approval · Requirements Quality · Suspect Links · TBD/TBR Register · Trace Requirements and Find Gaps