how to write a good produit specification

source:http://www.microtoolsinc.com/Howsrs.php

What are the benefits of a Great SRS?

The IEEE 830 standard defines the benefits of a good SRS(Software Requirements Specification):

Establish the basis for agreement between the customers and the suppliers on what the software product is to do. The complete description of the functions to be performed by the software specified in the SRS will assist the potential users to determine if the software specified meets their needs or how the software must be modified to meet their needs. [NOTE: We use it as the basis of our contract with our clients all the time].

Reduce the development effort. The preparation of the SRS forces the various concerned groups in the customer抯 organization to consider rigorously all of the requirements before design begins and reduces later redesign, recoding, and retesting. Careful review of the requirements in the SRS can reveal omissions, misunderstandings, and inconsistencies early in the development cycle when these problems are easier to correct.

Provide a basis for estimating costs and schedules. The description of the product to be developed as given in the SRS is a realistic basis for estimating project costs and can be used to obtain approval for bids or price estimates. [NOTE: Again, we use the SRS as the basis for our fixed price estimates]

Provide a baseline for validation and verification. Organizations can develop their validation and Verification plans much more productively from a good SRS. As a part of the development contract, the SRS provides a baseline against which compliance can be measured. [NOTE: We use the SRS to create the Test Plan].

Facilitate transfer.The SRS makes it easier to transfer the software product to new users or new machines. Customers thus find it easier to transfer the software to other parts of their organization, and suppliers find it easier to transfer it to new customers.

Serve as a basis for enhancement. Because the SRS discusses the product but not the project that developed it, the SRS serves as a basis for later enhancement of the finished product. The SRS may need to be altered, but it does provide a foundation for continued production evaluation. [NOTE: This is often a major pitfall ?when the SRS is not continually updated with changes]