Course Overview | Course Objectives | Course Contents | Workshop Benefits

Who Should Attend | Pre-requisite | Delivery Method | Course Duration

How to write a good SRS (Software Requirements Specification)

September 10, 2009 @ Bangalore, INDIA


Course Overviewpay online

A product is only as good as its specification. With the ever changing requirements in the fast paced IT industry, writing a good SRS helps ensure that the product is developed in tune with user needs, business priorities and for long term sustainability.Delivered by an Industry veteran who has trained hundreds of software engineers in producing comprehensive and easy to read and update specifications, this is an interactive hands on workshop


Course Objectives

Understanding user requirements, Identifying user environments and constraints, Eliciting user requirements, classifying and prioritizing requirements and documenting all these in a typical SRS template. Learn about common mistakes committed while writing an SRS and things that are usually left out. Get insight into the process of writing the SRS and the stakeholders involved and how to track changes and ways to integrate requirements traceability


Course Contents:

  • Identification of end users
    • Learning to differentiate between customers and end users
    • User Environment and usage patterns
    • Constraints in user space
    • User characteristics and how it can affect product requirements
  • Living the user experience
    • Practical tips to understand users
    • Assumptions and Conclusions
    • Taking user feedback
  • User Scenarios and how to write them
    • Documenting user scenarios
    • Prioritizing user scenarios
    • Translating user scenarios into specifications
  • Requirements models and how to apply them
    • Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and using it to capture requirements
    • Mind Mapping
    • Documentation to enable requirements tracking
  • Writing a good requirements specification document
    • Attributes of a good SRS
    • Handling requirement changes
    • Avoiding the design trap
    • Documenting Error Messages
    • Updating the SRS when requirements change
  • Process considerations
    • Expectations of requirements management in ISO
    • Key focus areas relating to requirements management in the SEI CMMI model
    • Stakeholders in eliciting and signing off requirements
  • Tracking user requirements right through the SDLC
    • Methods of tracking
    • Ensuring trace ability
    • Incorporating tracking in the process

Benefits/Takeaways / Workshop Motivation

Well begun is half done – Anonymous.

Documenting a clear set of user requirements ensures a good start for a project. It helps project managers estimate better, prevent defects and deliver products that meet customer expectations and helps companies succeed in the competitive marketplace. It helps set up a updating mechanism that ensures smooth handling of changing requirements and trace them to delivery


Who Should Attend

Senior Developers, Design engineers, software specialists, Test leads, Architects, Project Leads and Managers, Market Research specialists and technical writers


Pre-requisite - At least 2 years experience in the IT industry


Delivery Method - Team based, with project work and creative exercises that challenge the mind.


Course Duration - Two sessions of 4 hours each