{"id":93710,"date":"2023-03-08T11:37:53","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T10:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/?p=93710"},"modified":"2023-07-24T12:40:02","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T10:40:02","slug":"5-steps-to-writing-a-business-requirements-document","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/en\/blog\/5-steps-to-writing-a-business-requirements-document\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Steps to Writing a Business Requirements Document"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"5<\/p>\n

You don’t want to miss anything when you plan something – whether that’s a big trip, event, or launch. One little mishap can affect everything else, so you want every tiny little detail to go according to plan. Unfortunately, not all plans are winners.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

As research from the Project Management Institute<\/a> indicates, the two biggest reasons why projects fail are poor requirements gathering and a lack of upfront planning. How can you ensure you got a winning project on your hands?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before executing any project, have your team create a business requirements document (BRD) to carefully align with all stakeholders on what needs to be achieved.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

What Is a Business Requirements Document?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The business requirements document breaks down the project needs, objectives, and the various requirements for the project implementation. It acts as a checklist and a guide for everyone involved in the project. As a result, there will be a clear understanding of the overall goal and each person’s deliverables.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A BRD is especially important when working with clients directly to implement a campaign or develop a curated product or service. An example of this is creating e-commerce websites for growing businesses without a tech or digital team that can create one.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

In such cases, the BRD becomes a written agreement between you and your client on the final output. It will help all parties understand the project and what it hopes to achieve by the end.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Key Features of a Business Requirements Document<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Before sitting down and writing a Business Requirements Document, you must grasp the critical qualities of one. That will help condition how you write your BRD as you go through the steps provided in the next section.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Structured Documentation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For starters, a BRD must be an organised document you can easily browse through when needed. Maintaining a structure with arranged sections highlighted parts, and enumerated processes can make your BRD more digestible. After all, it will be everyone’s reference once implementation begins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Comprehensive Plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A BRD allows you to lay out the expectations of the project and the people involved. Then, it details everything you need to execute it with little to no issues. To do this, you must look at the project holistically and consider all factors, such as objectives, timeline, and assigned personnel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Easy to Understand<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Your BDR is not meant just for you. Remember, your operations, product development, and many other teams will go through it eventually. Sometimes, even the clients will have to see BRD to check the project implementation progress. That\u2019s why you must make the document simple, jargon-free, and easy to comprehend.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

How to Write Your Business Requirements Document<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A company should have a set template for its BRD to cover all the important parts, such as goals and objectives, timeline, and budget. However, keep in mind that some projects are different, so your template should have some flexibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

Your BRD should cover all crucial facets of the project to ensure you get all the benefits. But you may need to specify certain parts or add sections necessary to the project. To help you and your team create well-written BRDs each time, follow this 5-step guide below:<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 1: Align with Your Team<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Before writing anything down, you and your team should know what the document is for and what it should accomplish by the end of it all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Align<\/p>\n

Go back to your business’s <\/span>strategic direction<\/span><\/a> and see how this project supports the trajectory of the business. That will help you recall and discuss your project’s goals and objectives. It will also make the project easier to interpret since everyone can understand how it contributes to your overall business goal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once the project overview is clear, the team should create a <\/span>mind map<\/span><\/a>. That will give more body to the ideas presented, making it easier to list the important requirements for each. Mind maps not only categorise all the information at hand, but they also allow everyone involved to contribute to the contents of the BRD.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 2: Outline Document Sections<\/strong><\/h3>\n

After pooling all ideas and setting a clear definition of the project, you’ll need to outline your document sections and identify the necessary attachments. If your company already has a template, you can follow it, but ensure it compiles everything needed for your BRD.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To give you an idea of what a BRD should contain, below, you can find some of the sections your BRD document should\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n