A practical decision guide
Software requirements checklist
A useful requirement explains who needs to do what, under which conditions, and how you will know it works. Start there before comparing feature lists.
1. Describe the work and the current problem
Choose the process you want to improve and speak to the people who perform it. Record the trigger, the information they need, the handover and the output. Identify where the current approach loses time or creates errors without assuming that new software is the only solution.
Keep the initial scope small enough to test. “Improve collaboration” is difficult to evaluate. “A delivery lead can find the approved scope and its latest owner without asking sales” identifies an outcome and the person who needs it.
2. Replace feature names with observable tests
These examples are starting points for your own requirements, not claims about any product. Adapt the roles, systems, sample size and success conditions to your situation. A feature label can guide research; the acceptance test determines whether it fits your work.
| Feature request | A more useful requirement | Acceptance test |
|---|---|---|
| CRM integration | Delivery receives an approved sales handover with its owner and notes. | Change a test record and verify the mapped fields in the receiving system. |
| Good permissions | A guest can see only the project they were invited to. | Use a separate guest account and try both allowed and restricted records. |
| Data export | An administrator can retain the records needed for a future move. | Open a sample export and check identifiers, relationships and attachments. |
| Useful reporting | A team lead can find overdue work by owner. | Create a report from the same sample and check it against a known result. |
| Easy to use | A representative user can complete the agreed task. | Observe the user, note assistance and agree which steps need improvement. |
3. Keep must-haves separate from preferences
Give every essential requirement a reason and an owner. Ask what would happen if it were not met and whether a workable alternative exists. A long list of mandatory features can hide the few conditions that actually determine the decision.
Use weights only for trade-offs the team is willing to make. A convenient dashboard should not compensate for an essential access requirement that remains unresolved. In the evaluation scorecard, a must-have remains visible even when its numerical weight is zero.
Open the software evaluation scorecard4. Add the operating conditions
Include the intended roles, devices, systems, data volumes and locations. Record which requirements need the proposed edition and which depend on configuration, an external connector or work by your own team. Ask about routine administration as well as the initial setup.
For each requirement, leave space for evidence, the date checked, the plan or configuration, the test result and the person who will resolve an open question. Keep a vendor statement distinct from your own observation. A blank evidence field means work remains.
| Requirement record | What to capture |
|---|---|
| Owner and purpose | Who needs the outcome and why it matters. |
| Test and sample | The steps, input data and expected result. |
| Scope | Edition, role, region, configuration and dependencies. |
| Priority | Must-have or preference, with a reason. |
| Evidence and result | Source or test notes, date, open questions and follow-up owner. |
5. Use the document throughout the decision
Send the essential scenarios to shortlisted vendors. Use the same scenarios in the demo and the pilot, then update the evidence as you learn. If a requirement changes, record why and apply the new version to every option.
Carry the agreed requirements into rollout planning. Assign an owner to setup, training and acceptance. At renewal, revisit whether the workflow still matters and whether users actually rely on the purchased capability. The requirements document should support those conversations, not disappear after selection.
Prepare the vendor demoYour decision checklist
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Common questions
How many requirements do we need?
Enough to cover the essential workflow and its important exceptions. Start with a small testable set, then add requirements when a real dependency or risk makes them necessary.
Should we copy a vendor feature checklist?
Use it for questions, then rewrite relevant items around your own work. A vendor’s terminology does not by itself define your acceptance criteria.
What if we cannot test a requirement yet?
Keep it unresolved and give it an owner. Request documentation, a suitable trial or a scoped demonstration before calling it met.