Business Requirements Document

Document Information

The basic information that identifies the document, including the project name, date, analyst, version number, and current status so everyone knows what the document is and whether it is the latest version.

Project / Issue Name

The official name of the project, initiative, or business problem being analyzed.

Date

The date the document was created or last updated.

Analyst

The Business Systems Analyst responsible for creating or maintaining the document.

Version

The revision number used to track document changes over time.

Status

The current stage of the document, such as Draft, In Review, Approved, or Complete.

Background / Context

A summary explaining what has happened so far and why the project or issue exists. Provides the reader with enough information to understand the situation.

Problem Statement

A clear description of the business problem that needs to be solved, without proposing a solution.

Goal / Objective

The desired business outcome the project is trying to achieve after solving the problem.

Scope

The boundaries of the project, defining exactly what is included and excluded.

In Scope

The features, processes, systems, or work that will be addressed during the project.

Out of Scope

The items that are intentionally excluded from the project to prevent confusion or scope creep.

Business Impact

An explanation of how the problem affects the organization, including customers, employees, operations, finances, or strategic goals.

Customer Impact

Describes how customers or end users are affected by the problem or proposed solution.

Operational Impact

Explains how the issue affects internal business operations, workflows, productivity, or efficiency.

Financial Impact

Describes the financial consequences of the problem or expected financial benefits of the solution, such as costs, revenue, or savings.

Risk Impact

Explains the potential risks to the business if the problem is not solved or if the project encounters issues.

Stakeholders

The people, teams, or organizations affected by the project or who influence its success.

Stakeholder

A person, group, or organization affected by, interested in, or able to influence the project.

Role

The stakeholder's job title or responsibility within the organization.

Involvement

Describes how the stakeholder participates in the project, such as approving decisions, providing requirements, testing, or using the system.

Investigation Plan

The plan for gathering enough information to fully understand the problem before recommending a solution.

Questions to Ask

The specific questions used to gather requirements, clarify assumptions, and understand business needs.

People to Interview

The individuals or groups who can provide information about the current process, business needs, or technical systems.

Data Needed

The reports, metrics, documents, logs, or database information needed to analyze the problem.

Systems to Review

The software applications, databases, processes, or technologies involved in the issue.

Current State Analysis (AS-IS)

A description of how the business process or system currently works before any changes are made.

Current Process

A step-by-step description of how work is currently completed.

Potential Failure Points

Areas where the current process could break down, cause delays, create errors, or negatively impact the business.

Findings

The important facts, observations, and evidence discovered during the investigation.

Root Cause Analysis

The process of identifying the underlying reason the problem exists instead of only addressing its symptoms.

Analysis Method Used

The technique used to determine the root cause, such as the 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagram, or process analysis.

Root Cause

The primary reason the business problem exists and what must be addressed to permanently solve it.

Requirements

The documented business and system needs that define what the solution must accomplish.

Business Requirements

High-level business goals and outcomes the solution must achieve to provide value to the organization.

Functional Requirements

The specific features, actions, or system behaviors the solution must perform.

Non-Functional Requirements

The quality attributes the solution must meet, such as performance, security, reliability, usability, or scalability.

Recommended Solution

The solution that best addresses the business problem while meeting the documented requirements.

Alternative Solutions Considered

Other possible solutions that were evaluated before selecting the recommended approach.

Solution

One possible solution that was evaluated to address the business problem.

Benefits

The advantages or positive outcomes provided by a solution.

Limitations

The disadvantages, constraints, costs, or trade-offs associated with a solution.

User Story

A statement describing who needs something, what they need, and why they need it.

Acceptance Criteria

The specific conditions that must be met for the user story or requirement to be considered complete and acceptable.

Given

The starting conditions that must already exist before the test begins.

When

The action or event that occurs during the test.

Then

The expected outcome that should happen if the requirement works correctly.

Testing / UAT Plan

The plan for verifying that the solution works correctly and meets business requirements before deployment.

Test Scenario

A specific business situation used to verify that a requirement functions correctly.

Test

The actions performed to verify the expected behavior.

Expected Result

The outcome that should occur if the system works correctly.

Implementation Considerations

The factors that should be planned for before deploying the solution into production.

Dependencies

People, systems, tasks, or projects that must be completed or available before implementation can occur.

Resources Needed

The people, budget, software, hardware, or tools required to complete the project successfully.

Risks

Potential events or issues that could negatively affect the project's success.

Timeline Considerations

The important scheduling factors, deadlines, milestones, or sequencing that may affect implementation.

Success Metrics

The measurable indicators used to determine whether the project successfully achieved its objectives.

Lessons Learned

The knowledge gained during the project that can improve future projects or prevent similar problems.