How do you create a requirements specification for CRM?
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A requirements specification that describes solutions rather than needs locks you into a single supplier's approach. Here's how to avoid that.
- 6 steps
- Total time: 9 h
- Preparation: 4 h
- Result: A requirements specification that produces comparable bids
Required tools
- Completed needs assessment — The requirements should be based on the findings, not on wish lists.
Write the requirements
1.Describe the need, not the solution
“We need to see all open quotes for each customer” is a requirement. “We need a quote module with a dashboard” is a proposed solution that rules out good alternatives.
2.Link each requirement to a finding
If you cannot explain why the requirement exists, it does not belong there. In our experience, this removes a third of the list.
3.Include the non-functional aspects
Access control, traceability, where data is stored, and who will manage it. These factors are often overlooked, yet they are frequently decisive.
Prioritize
4.Sort into must, should, and can wait
Without prioritization, all requirements become equally important, and then the supplier who says yes to the most wins — not the one who is the best fit.
5.Be honest about what is required
If more than half are critical, then nothing is. Enforce a distribution in which most requirements are not absolute.
6.Ask for a response regarding their process
Include two or three specific everyday scenarios and ask the vendors to demonstrate them. This is more revealing than a hundred checkboxes.
Discussion
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