Specifications.

A scope of work is the agency’s response to your requirements specification. According to the project management standard DIN 69901-5, these are essentially the implementation guidelines developed by the contractor based on the requirements specification. For a website, for example, it specifies which CMS will be used, how forms will be integrated with your CRM, and how redirects will be implemented during the relaunch. This is important to you because it allows you to see, before implementation begins, how well the agency has understood your requirements.

How a Requirements Specification Works

Without a requirements specification, there can be no meaningful functional specification. The functional specification incorporates every requirement and refines the solution. For example, “Inquiries are logged in the CRM along with the product” becomes a form with a hidden product field and data transfer via an interface with field mapping.

It is usually developed after the contract is awarded, often in workshops with your subject matter experts. For example, a requirements specification from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for a 2019 website relaunch stipulates that the contractor must develop a concept in the form of a requirements specification within ten weeks of the contract being awarded, which the client must then approve.

What Your Business Should Keep in Mind

Check the requirements specification item by item against your project specifications. If something is missing or has been implemented differently, now is the best time to clarify these issues, before any design or programming work begins. A wireframe helps visualize the structure and functions.

Set aside time and budget for the requirements specification. A good requirements specification requires discussions with sales, IT, and the editorial team. Ask where it is mentioned in the proposal.

Pay attention to the terminology used in contracts. Lawyers often use the term “specifications” to refer to the client’s requirements—that is, the requirements specification as defined by the standard. Therefore, clarify which document is being referred to by which name.

Approve the requirements specification in writing, including the date and version. This will make it clear on what basis implementation will begin. This is not legal advice.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Requirements Specification

Who writes the requirements specification? The contractor—that is, the agency or the developer. You review it and approve it.

What is the difference between these and the requirements specification? The requirements specification describes what is needed, while the functional specification describes how it will be implemented. One comes from the client, the other from the contractor.

Do you need a requirements specification for agile projects? Often not in the traditional form. Instead, the solution is described step by step in the backlog. However, the goals, scope, and key requirements should still be established in advance.

Our guide, “Website Requirements Specification,” explains how requirements and functional specifications work together in a website project, complete with a template and example.