How important are software project documentation: BRD, FRD and SRD

Teams working in software development and testing have to deal with specific kinds of requirement specifications when undertaking a new project. Precise and well-defined requirements are needed for a software development team to work on the creation of the right application, and this documentation makes the overall development process easier.

There are different types of requirement specifications, but right now, we are going to describe three main document types that are used specifically in software testing. These are BRD (Business Requirements Document), FRD (functional requirement document) and SRD(Software requirement document). It’s worth noting that all these documents are used depending on the company type, standards and process organization. Further down, we will give more details about each of these documents and explain the main difference between FRD and SRD documents and the difference between BRD and FRD in software testing.

BRD DOCUMENT

BRD stands for a business requirement document which is intended to indicate how to meet the business requirements on a wider level. A BRD document is one of the most extensively accepted specification documents. It’s quite crucial, and a BRD is typically created at the very beginning of the project lifecycle and defines the core project goals or needs client is willing to achieve with certain software or Platform. This one is usually created by a business analyst based on end-users specifications and after a thorough analysis of the company. Usually, the final version of the document is reviewed by the end client to make sure that all business stakeholders expectancies are listed correctly.

A BRD includes all the requirements wished by a client. Usually, it comprises of the application purpose, users, the complete scope of work, all listed qualities and functions, usability and performance requirements. A BRD is used mainly by upper and middle management, Project sponsor and business analysts.

FRD DOCUMENT

An FRD or functional requirement document is the artefact that defines all the functions that software or application has to perform. In fact, it’s a step-by-step structure of all operations essential to develop a product from very start to end. An FRD describes the details of how certain software components will behave during user interaction. This document is created by qualified software developers and engineers, and it is considered the result of close collaboration between testers and developers. The main difference, when compared to the SRD document, is that the FRD does not include use cases. It might also contain diagrams and tables, but this is not mandatory.

This one is the most detailed document as it explains in-depth how the software is expected to function (including business features, compliance, security requirements) as it also has to satisfy all the requirements mentioned in both the SRD and BRD documents. An FRD supports developers to understand what application they are supposed to create, and software testers get a better understanding of different test cases and scenarios in which the product is expected to be tested.

SRD DOCUMENT

SRD or Software Requirement Document is a document prepared by a team of system analysts that is used to define software that will be developed, the main business purpose and functionality of a certain product and ways how it performs its core functions. An SRD is a basis for any project as it consists of a framework that will be followed by each project team member. An SRD is also a base of a contract with stakeholders (users/clients) that includes all the details about the functionality of the future application and how it is supposed to run. An SRD is used widely by software developers during the process of product or program development.

An SRD includes both functional and non-functional requirements and uses cases as well. A perfect SRD document considers not just the way software will interact with other software or when it’s implanted in hardware but also potential users and the ways they will interact with the software. It also contains references to tables and diagrams to get a clear understanding of all product-related details.

An SRD document helps team members from different departments stay on the same and make sure all the requirements are fulfilled. This document also allows minimizing software development expenses and time.

At TesDel, we value transparency and clear expectations with clients. Our team make sure that every artefact ie test strategy,test case, bugs or execution report are documented. During the initiation phase, we do a detailed analysis, develop a relevant test strategy and provide a detailed overview of every error we have detected. In this way, we provide our client with a clear representation of what occurs in the project and what are the team priorities in the short and long run. While writing the documents we keep in mind that documents can be used repeatedly throughout for further development or phase.