In any project, miscommunication between business and technical teams can lead to misaligned goals, missed deadlines, and increased costs. Two vital documents—the Business Requirements Document (BRD) and the Technical Specification Document (Tech Spec)—play a key role in ensuring that all teams are aligned. These documents not only streamline project execution but also minimize risks.
Recently, our organization rolled out a revamped process for creating, reviewing, and finalizing BRDs and Tech Specs. This post delves into that journey, highlighting the lessons learned and best practices established. To learn more about project management and its impact, check out our article on streamlining project management processes.
Why BRDs and Tech Specs Matter
Business Requirements Document (BRD):
The BRD captures the what of a project—business objectives, functional requirements, and success criteria. It ensures that business stakeholders and technical teams have a shared understanding of the project goals.
Technical Specification Document (Tech Spec):
The Tech Spec, on the other hand, describes the how of a project. It provides a detailed blueprint for implementing the solution, covering system architecture, database design, APIs, and more. This deep dive is akin to exploring business analytics, as discussed in our post on diving deep with data.
When used together, these documents bridge business and technical teams, fostering clarity and collaboration.
Rolling Out the New BRD and Tech Spec Process
Our organization faced challenges with misaligned project goals and prolonged feedback loops. To address these issues, we introduced a streamlined process that integrates BRD and Tech Spec development.
Step 1: Drafting the BRD
The process begins with the business analyst gathering requirements from stakeholders. Using structured templates, we ensure that:
- Business objectives are clearly outlined: For instance, if the project is about enhancing user experience on a website, the BRD might state objectives like “reduce page load time to under 2 seconds” or “improve navigation by simplifying the menu structure.”
- Functional requirements are detailed and unambiguous: Example: “Users must be able to reset their password via email verification within 15 minutes of requesting a reset.”
- High-level workflows and use cases are included: For example, a use case could describe how a customer would navigate a new mobile app to make a purchase.
This might sound simple and straightforward but it can actually be quite complex as often the business doesn’t really know how to put into words what they really want and need. Probing questions are essential and a high level knowledge of the product/platform and tools as in some cases, the requirement for new development can be curtailed right at this stage if the requirements have already been met through another project.
Step 2: Technical Review of the BRD
Before finalizing the BRD, it’s reviewed by the technical team to:
- Ensure technical feasibility: For example, if the BRD specifies integrating a third-party API, the technical team will verify whether it’s compatible with the existing tech stack.
- Identify potential risks or gaps: Example: Highlighting that a proposed feature might require additional server capacity, increasing costs.
- Highlight dependencies and constraints: Example: The implementation might depend on obtaining licenses for certain software tools.
Both the business and the technical teams need to “sign off” on the BRD. From the business POV, its to acknowledge that the BRD captures the “what” of their request. The technical teams need to sign off to acknowledge that the request is actually realistic and achievable. The “how” comes next!
Step 3: Transitioning to the Tech Spec
Once the BRD is finalized, the technical team drafts the Tech Spec. This document builds on the BRD by:
- Detailing the technical architecture: For instance, specifying that the mobile app will use AWS Lambda for serverless architecture.
- Specifying the technology stack: Example: “The web application will use React.js for the frontend and Node.js for the backend.”
- Including diagrams of workflows, system interactions, and APIs: For example, a sequence diagram showing how user login requests interact with authentication servers.
Step 4: Tech Spec Review and Alignment
The Tech Spec undergoes rigorous review by:
- Developers, to validate technical feasibility: Example: Checking if proposed database schemas align with existing systems.
- Business stakeholders to ensure alignment with the BRD: Example: Verifying that the technical design supports the “reduce page load time” objective outlined in the BRD.
Similar to a BRD signoff, tech spec’s also need to be signed off, but this time the onus is on the business to agree that what is being delivered, matches the requirements initially provided.
Lessons Learned
- Collaboration is Key: Regular check-ins between business and technical teams are crucial for avoiding last-minute surprises. For example, during our rollout, we held weekly sync-ups to address potential gaps early.
- Standardized Templates Work Wonders: Using predefined templates for both BRDs and Tech Specs reduces ambiguity and ensures completeness. For instance, our BRD template now includes mandatory sections like “Risks and Assumptions.”
- Feedback Timelines are Non-Negotiable: Setting clear deadlines for reviews accelerates the process and avoids bottlenecks. For example, we implemented a 3-business-day rule for all document reviews.
Final Thoughts
By rolling out a structured BRD and Tech Spec process, we’ve not only improved alignment between teams but also set the stage for more efficient project delivery. If your organization is facing similar challenges, consider adopting these practices to foster better communication and collaboration. Learn more about best practices in cross-team collaboration in our article on effective collaboration strategies.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Have you implemented a similar process? What challenges did you face?
