Requirements Traceability Matrix

The Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) is a tool used in project management and systems engineering to ensure that all project requirements are met throughout the development lifecycle. It links requirements to their corresponding deliverables, ensuring traceability and accountability from the initial stages of a project through to completion.

At a very high level, the Requirements Traceability Matrix is used in the context of business, project management, software development.

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What is the Requirements Traceability Matrix?

A visual explanation is shown in the image above. The Requirements Traceability Matrix can be described as a matrix with the following quadrants:

  1. Requirement ID: A unique identifier for each requirement, e.g., 'REQ-001'.
  2. Requirement Description: A detailed description of the requirement, e.g., 'The system shall allow users to reset their passwords'.
  3. Source: The origin of the requirement, e.g., 'Stakeholder Meeting'.
  4. Status: The current status of the requirement, e.g., 'In Progress'.

What is the purpose of the Requirements Traceability Matrix?

The Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) is an essential document in project management and systems engineering that helps ensure all project requirements are met. It serves as a bridge between requirements and their corresponding deliverables, providing a clear path from the initial stages of a project through to its completion. This matrix is particularly useful in complex projects where numerous requirements must be tracked and managed.

The RTM typically includes columns for requirement IDs, descriptions, source, priority, status, and links to corresponding test cases, design documents, and other artifacts. By maintaining this matrix, project managers and teams can easily identify which requirements have been fulfilled, which are in progress, and which have yet to be addressed. This ensures that no requirement is overlooked and that all deliverables are aligned with the project's objectives.

Use cases for the RTM include software development projects, where it helps track functional and non-functional requirements, as well as compliance and regulatory projects, where it ensures all legal and regulatory requirements are met. The RTM is also valuable in quality assurance, as it links requirements to test cases, ensuring comprehensive testing coverage.


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What templates are related to Requirements Traceability Matrix?

The following templates can also be categorized as business, project management, software development and are therefore related to Requirements Traceability Matrix: Product-Market Matrix, 4 Ps Marketing Mix Matrix, AI Capability-Value Proposition Alignment Matrix, AI Innovation-Value Alignment Matrix, AI Maturity Matrix, AI-Value Proposition Alignment Matrix, AI-Value Proposition Matrix, AIDA Marketing Matrix. You can browse them using the menu above.

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