Software commissioning guide
Describe software you can actually verify.
A clear requirement describes a user action and a verifiable outcome. It gives the buyer and developer a shared understanding of each stage.
Start with user tasks
Replace “we need document management” with a specific action: a colleague uploads a document, assigns an owner and sees its approval state. List user groups, data sources and who may read, edit or approve a record. Include what someone from another organisation can see.
Describe exceptions and dependencies
Cover a missing field, duplicate document, cancelled action and unavailable integration. For each connection, identify who supplies sandbox access, API documentation and data samples. Changes made by an external provider need an owner and a place in the maintenance plan.
Agree acceptance scenarios
Example: with a staff role, I upload a supported document; the owner receives a task; approval changes the state; history records the actor and time. Test an unsupported format and a user without permission separately. Agree the test environment, sample data and who accepts each stage.
Plan handover and maintenance
Agree deployment instructions, administration documentation, training, and the scope of code and data handover. Separate defect fixes, changes and new features, with communication and response arrangements. Define accessibility and security criteria around the actual project requirements; a generic promise that software is secure is insufficient.
Apply this to your needs
Check your assumptions.
Use the planner to explore scope, calculate time value and submit a specific request.
Plan a project →