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New Post 6/24/2012 7:02 PM
User is offline johnAnd
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What are the differences between Business Requirement Document (BRD) & Software Requirement Specific 
Modified By johnAnd  on 6/24/2012 8:02:43 PM)

I usually write a Software Requirement Specification (SRS) Document, which mainly has the following sections (functional requirements  as use cases, non-functional requirement and the constraints),, but most of the clients i am meeting with told me that this kind of document should be named as Business Requirement Document (BRD) rather than SRS. So is this right?

Second question i need to include more technical details about my software such as Database diagram, Entity relation diagram, architecture diagram and the user interface ,, so on which document i should provide these technical information ??

 

 
New Post 6/25/2012 7:25 AM
User is offline Tony Markos
493 posts
5th Level Poster


Re: What are the differences between Business Requirement Document (BRD) & Software Requirement Specific 

John:

A system can be completely manual (i.e., people doing the work).  A system can be almost completly automated (i.e., software doing the work).   A system can have significant parts both automated and manaul.   

A data flow diagram (a tool for higher level system behavior documentation) and a sequence oriented flow chart (a tool for documenting more detail level system beharior) can be used for all three of the above situations.    So, if only one set of requirements doc's are needed, why is it popular to talk about the need for both SRS's and BRD's?  

Realize that, what is popular in the BA community often does not make logical sense.  This is a prime example of such.   After you have been around for awhile, you will come to realize that the two document types exist for political reasons and because people are just plain confused.

As far as what set documentation is needed, think Agile.  A few data flow diagrams and entity relationship diagrams and maybe some screen shots is all that is needed, often even for more complex projects.  Everything else can be handled in conversations between developers.

Tony

 

 

 
New Post 6/25/2012 11:39 PM
User is offline M Prasad - http://mprasad.com
5 posts
10th Level Poster


Re: What are the differences between Business Requirement Document (BRD) & Software Requirement Specific 
Modified By M Prasad - http://mprasad.com  on 6/26/2012 12:49:29 AM)

 

 Hi John,

About your first question:

A document containing the specification of system behaviour (either automated or manual or both) to solve problem or realise the business opportunity that document is considered as Solution Requirement Specification.  Use cases can be used to derive the requirements for both business and solution requirements. Sources of both requirements and intention of them are different. BA should have defined Business Requirement Document as early as possible in the project phase. This will assist in many future activities and it is of great assistance when you are following Business Motivation Model.

Your client request of renaming solution requirement document to Business requirement may be due to many reasons:

·          Client might be too technical and they understand clearly what you have documented in SRS

·          Client might working on ROI through your solution document instead through goals/objectives that will be met through executing this solution

Client intention of renaming this document to BRD can only be understood by understanding their intention of renaming.

About your second question:

Solution implementation requires many other artifacts depending on the complexity of the project, business analysis approach planned, solution implementers’ knowledge level on the requirement, etc. These artifacts can be documented in many tools, for example User Interface in PowerPoint slides, Data Flow Diagram and ERD in Rational Rose UML diagram, Process Diagram in Visio. Delivery of these artifacts to different stakeholders including solution implementers depends on communication channel you chose to deliver, that means if the solution requirements needs to understood mainly by reading the solution document then one can include these documents’ references in the Solution Document’s requirement section. If the communication channel is “Consulting model”, which is of more collaborative approach than document analysis then other artifacts can be delivered independently with a sheet of bibliography. Approach is always defined depending on the objectives and planning of the Project Team.

 


Kind regards, M Prasad - www.mprasad.com
 
New Post 7/3/2012 12:53 PM
User is offline Anthony Chen
63 posts
8th Level Poster


Re: What are the differences between Business Requirement Document (BRD) & Software Requirement Specific 

 there are no industry standard definitions for SRS vs BRD. We typically take the view that the BRD is performed by business stakeholders and is used to scope the problem.  The SRS is performed in conjunction with an implementation team to determine what is actually going to be built. There is no point documenting requirements for things that the technical team has no hope of implementing.

 

A BRD might include things like high level process flows, system context diagrams and business case along with a list of functional requirements. An SRS would expand on all of those and would include business rules, wireframes, system flows and the like.

 

We have a few blog posts on the topic, here is a link

http://requirements.seilevel.com/blog/2010/03/brd-vs-functional-software-requirements.html

 
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