Introduction & How to write SRS - Software Requirements Specification Document

Summary

This video script offers an insightful guide on Software Requirement Specifications (SRS), explaining their purpose and importance in software development. It outlines the steps to create an SRS, emphasizing the need for clear requirements to guide development teams and ensure the product meets user expectations. The script covers the structure of an SRS, including the introduction, overall description, and detailed features and requirements. It also highlights the significance of SRS in risk management and setting development standards, concluding with the importance of SRS approval for project success.

Takeaways

• 📝 SRS stands for Software Requirement Specification, a document that outlines what the software will do and how it is expected to perform.
• 🛠 SRS is essential for clear communication among stakeholders and serves as a roadmap for product development.
• 🏗️ SRS helps in laying the groundwork for product development, ensuring that the development team creates the right product.
• 📈 SRS documentation aids in growing development standards and covers risks at each development stage.
• 🔍 A typical SRS includes a purpose, overall description, specific requirements, and how the software will interact with hardware or other software.
• 📋 The SRS outline should be structured and focused, including an introduction, overall description, and detailed features and requirements.
• 🔑 The introduction section of the SRS should clarify the project purpose, scope, glossary, and references to provide an overview of the project.
• 🤔 The overall description section should understand user needs and project risks, including assumptions and dependencies that might impact the project.
• 🔑 Features and requirements section details functional, non-functional, and external interface requirements, specifying what the software will do and how it will perform.
• 🗂️ Functional requirements describe what the software will do, while non-functional requirements cover aspects like usability, performance, and security.
• ✅ The final step in creating an SRS is to get approval from key stakeholders to ensure accuracy, objectivity, and mutual agreement on the software's functionality.
• 📚 SRS serves as a source of information for managing requirements throughout the software development process, reducing the risk of unnecessary changes.

Q & A

What is SRS and why is it important for software development?

SRS stands for Software Requirement Specification. It is important because it describes what the software will do, how it will perform, and the functionality it needs to fulfill for all stakeholders, providing a roadmap for the project and helping to manage requirements throughout the development process.

What are the components of a typical SRS document?

A typical SRS document includes a purpose, overall description, specific requirements, and details on how the software will interact with hardware or other software. It also accounts for real-life user scenarios.

What are the five steps to create an SRS document?

The five steps to create an SRS document are: 1) Start with an outline, 2) Clarify the project overview, 3) Understand users and project risks, 4) Detail the project requirements, and 5) Get the SRS approval.

What should be included in the introduction of an SRS document?

The introduction of an SRS document should include the project purpose, project scope, glossary, and references to provide an overview and clarify terms used in the document.

Why is it crucial to understand user needs and project risks in the overall description of an SRS?

Understanding user needs and project risks is crucial to ensure the project meets user expectations and to prepare for any upcoming challenges, reducing the risk of project failure.

What are functional requirements and why are they important?

Functional requirements describe what the software will do and define its functions to meet user expectations. They are important as they are keys to project deliverables and the project's success.

What are non-functional requirements and how do they differ from functional requirements?

Non-functional requirements include aspects such as usability, performance, software quality, and security. They differ from functional requirements as they describe how the software will perform rather than what it will do.

What are external interface requirements and why are they necessary?

External interface requirements are types of functional requirements that include user interfaces, software, hardware system, and communication interfaces. They are necessary to specify how the software will interact with its environment.

Why is getting SRS approval from key stakeholders important?

Getting SRS approval from key stakeholders ensures the SRS's accuracy and objectivity, and mutual agreement on how the software should run, reducing the risk of wasting time, effort, and money on future unnecessary changes.

How does an SRS document help in managing requirements throughout the software development process?

An SRS document serves as a source of information that helps in easily managing requirements by providing clear and specific details on what the software should do, how it should perform, and the expectations from all stakeholders.

What is the final thought on the importance of SRS in the video script?

The final thought emphasizes the importance of SRS as it provides a structured and clear basis for communication, development standards, and risk coverage at each stage of the software development process.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Introduction to SRS: Purpose and Structure

This paragraph introduces the concept of Software Requirement Specifications (SRS), emphasizing its importance in guiding development teams to create the right product. It outlines what an SRS is, its role in defining software functionality and performance expectations, and its utility in communication among stakeholders. The paragraph also provides a five-step process for creating an SRS, including starting with an outline, clarifying the project overview, understanding users and project risks, detailing project requirements, and obtaining SRS approval. The SRS document is described as comprising an introduction, overall description, and detailed features and requirements, with an example outline provided to illustrate the structure.

05:00

🔍 Deep Dive into SRS Components and Approval Process

The second paragraph delves deeper into the components of an SRS, focusing on the detailed requirements that form the core of the document. It explains the significance of functional requirements, which describe what the software will do, and non-functional requirements, which cover aspects like usability, performance, and security. The paragraph also discusses external interface requirements, which are essential for understanding how the software interacts with other systems or hardware. The importance of SRS approval is highlighted as a means to ensure accuracy, objectivity, and stakeholder agreement, thereby reducing the risk of future changes and wasted resources. The paragraph concludes by reiterating the value of the SRS in managing and tracking requirements throughout the software development process.

Keywords

💡SRS

SRS stands for Software Requirement Specification. It is a document that outlines what the software will do and how it is expected to perform. In the video, SRS is central to the theme as it provides the groundwork for product development, helping to clarify requirements for all stakeholders involved in the project.

💡Clear Requirements

Clear requirements are essential for guiding the development team to create the right product. They ensure that the project meets the business goals and delivers value. The video emphasizes the importance of clear requirements in helping to lay the groundwork for product development.

💡Development Teams

Development teams are the collective of individuals responsible for creating and implementing the software product. The video discusses how SRS helps these teams by providing a roadmap for the project, thus ensuring that everyone is aligned with the project's goals.

💡Functionality

Functionality refers to the specific features and capabilities that the software must have to meet user needs. The video script mentions that an SRS document should describe the functionality the product needs to fulfill, which is crucial for understanding the software's purpose.

💡Stakeholders

Stakeholders are individuals or groups with an interest or involvement in the project. The video explains that an SRS document helps to meet the needs of all stakeholders, such as business owners or users, by clearly defining the software's expected performance.

💡Outsourcing

Outsourcing is the practice of contracting work to an external company or individual. The video script discusses the importance of a structured SRS document for outsourcing development teams to avoid unnecessary effort in reading and understanding project requirements.

💡Risk Management

Risk management involves identifying, assessing, and controlling risks to minimize their impact on the project. The video mentions that SRS documentation helps to cover risk at each development stage, ensuring the project's success.

💡Project Overview

A project overview provides a high-level summary of the project's purpose, scope, and goals. In the video, starting the SRS with a clear introduction that includes a project overview is emphasized as a way to give readers an understanding of the project's aims and objectives.

💡Functional Requirements

Functional requirements describe what the software will do and define its functions to meet user expectations. The video script specifies that these requirements should include acceptance criteria to determine if a function is completed and performs as expected.

💡Non-functional Requirements

Non-functional requirements include aspects such as usability, performance, software quality, and security. They are considered extensions that help describe how the software will perform. The video script highlights the importance of specifying these requirements to ensure the software meets certain quality standards.

💡External Interface Requirements

External interface requirements are a type of functional requirement that involves how the software interacts with users, software, hardware systems, and communication interfaces. The video script mentions these requirements to illustrate how the software will integrate with other systems or components.

💡Approval

Approval in the context of SRS refers to the process where key stakeholders review and confirm the document's accuracy and objectivity. The video script emphasizes getting SRS approval to ensure mutual agreement on the software's expected behavior and to reduce the risk of future changes.

Highlights

SRS stands for Software Requirement Specification, which is essential for guiding development teams to create the right product.

SRS documents describe the functionality and performance expectations of software, covering all stakeholders' needs, including business and users.

A typical SRS includes a purpose, overall description, specific requirements, and details on how software will interact with hardware or other software.

SRS serves as a roadmap for software development projects, setting the foundation for all documentation and communication.

SRS helps in growing development standards and managing risks at each stage of the development process.

Creating an SRS involves five steps: starting with an outline, clarifying the project overview, understanding users and project risks, detailing project requirements, and getting SRS approval.

An SRS outline should be structured and focused, including an introduction, overall description, and detailed features and requirements.

The introduction section of an SRS should cover the project purpose, scope, glossary, and references to provide an overview.

Understanding user needs and project risks is crucial for ensuring the project meets user expectations and for identifying potential challenges.

Functional requirements in an SRS describe what the software will do and how it will function to meet user expectations.

Non-functional requirements cover aspects like usability, performance, software quality, and security, which are essential for software performance.

External interface requirements are a type of functional requirement that includes user, software, hardware system, and communication interfaces.

Getting SRS approval from key stakeholders ensures accuracy, objectivity, and mutual agreement on how the software should operate.

An SRS serves as a source of information for managing requirements throughout the software development process, reducing the risk of future changes.

The video aims to provide a basic understanding of the SRS structure and its importance in the software development process.

SRS documents help in avoiding unnecessary effort in reading project requirements and reduce the risk of missing information across teams.

Assumptions and dependencies should be noted in the SRS to prepare for challenges and reduce the risk of project failure.

Transcripts

hello everybody and welcome today we

will be talking about uh SRS what is SRS

how to create SRS and why we use

SRS please watch this video till end so

that you can have a better understanding

of

SRS clear requirements help development

teams create the right product and a

software requirement specification helps

you lay the ground work for product

development we will Define what this is

when you would use one and five steps to

write an SRS

document what is a software requirement

specification

document a software requirement

specification is a document that

describes what the software will do and

how it will be expected to perform it

also describes the functionality the

product needs to fulfill all

stakeholders needs for example business

or users a typical SRS in includes a

purpose and overall description specific

requirements the best SRS document

defines how the software will interact

when embedded in Hardware or when

connected to other

softwares good SRS document also account

for real life

user so now let's review the reasons for

using

SRS SRS describes how a software system

should be

developed it provides everyone involved

with a road map for that

project SRS in software engineering

creates the basis for all documentations

it sets your communication on the right

track it helps you understand the

product SRS documentation helps to grow

your development standards it helps to

cover risk on each development stage so

there are five steps to create SRS a

good

SRS the number one is start with outline

then clarify project overview then

understand users and project risks

detail the project requirements and get

the SRS approval at the final

stage so let's discuss about the SRS

outlines as always it is important to

make your document structured and

focused this will help your Outsourcing

development team avoid unnecessary

effort in Reading project requirements

back and forth as a result it will

reduce the risk of missing information

across the teams you should also ensure

the three main parts of the SRS

including introduction overall

description and detailed features at

requirements to create a good

Outsourcing software

document now let's take a look at an

outline example

here the first thing is Introduction

within introduction you can write

project purpose project scope glossery

and reference the second is overall

description where we can write user

needs assumptions and dependencies and

the third is detailed features and

requirements where we can write actually

the functional requirements

non-functional requirements external

interface requirements we'll go into

detail of all these one by one so let's

start with

introduction in introduction we clarify

the project overview starting the SRS

with a clear introduction to describe

the project purpose and give readers an

overview of the project big picture the

introduction should cover the following

content the number one is Project

purpose what is the project built for

answer this question to help the readers

understand the aims and objectives of

the

project the second is Project scope what

is the business goal what values does

the project deliver find the answer to

these questions to make clear the

project sophistic ation glossery and

reference explain the terms used in the

document show your references to readers

to consolidate the transmitted

information so the next is overall

description here we understand users and

project risks all developing effort is

to ensure that the project is completed

and meet the user

expectation to achieve this success you

need to pay enough attention to

analyze user

needs Define your software's end user

and how they use

it correctly understanding the users's

needs will give you a clear Direction on

how your software should be

built assumptions and dependencies think

of assumptions and dependencies that

might impact fulfilling the requirements

outlined in your

SRS and take not note of external

factors for example software components

reused from another project this is to

prepare for any upcoming challenges in

the project implementation and reduce

the risk of project

failure so now about features and

requirements where we can actually write

the project requirements in detail clear

requirements can be considered as keys

to the project deliverables in general

and the project success in particular

the more specific requirements the

easier it will be for the developers to

plan and implement the

project requirements are various but

mainly divided into functional

requirements non-functional requirements

and external interface

requirements each type of requirement

needs to be specified direct and

differently so let's talk about

functional

requirements functional requirements

describe what the software will do and

Define how it will function to meet user

expectations you should also mention the

acceptance criteria for these functional

requirements to determine if a function

is completed and performs as

expected non-functional requirements

non-functional requirements include

usability performance software Quality

Security and so

on they can be seen as extensions help

describe how the software will

perform external interface

requirements external interface

requirements are types of functional

requirements and these interfaces

include user software Hardware system

communication interfaces

Etc so the last thing is get the SRS

approval to ensure the SRS accuracy and

objectivity and the mutual agreements in

how the software should run

the key stakeholders should be involved

to approve the SRS by doing this you can

reduce the risk of wasting time effort

and money in the future unnecessary

changes so as a final thought the SRS is

important because it gives you a source

of information where you can easily

manage requirements throughout the

Outsourcing software development process

in this video I aimed to help you get

the basic ideas of the SRS structure and

Hope hopefully I did

it thank you for

watching