requirements-analysis
Analyze and refine product requirements. Use when clarifying scope, identifying gaps, or validating requirements. Covers requirement types and analysis techniques.
When & Why to Use This Skill
This Claude skill facilitates the systematic analysis and refinement of product requirements, ensuring project scope is well-defined and technically sound. By leveraging industry-standard techniques like SMART criteria, the '5 Whys,' and edge case analysis, it helps teams transform high-level ideas into detailed, testable specifications with clear acceptance criteria to minimize development risks.
Use Cases
- Defining and distinguishing between functional requirements, non-functional requirements, and technical constraints for a new software project.
- Identifying hidden gaps and potential edge cases in product proposals to prevent costly mid-development scope changes.
- Validating existing requirement documents against SMART criteria to ensure they are specific, measurable, and achievable.
- Using the '5 Whys' technique to uncover the underlying business needs behind a feature request and align it with strategic goals.
- Generating structured documentation with clear priority levels, dependencies, and acceptance criteria for engineering handoffs.
| name | requirements-analysis |
|---|---|
| description | Analyze and refine product requirements. Use when clarifying scope, identifying gaps, or validating requirements. Covers requirement types and analysis techniques. |
| allowed-tools | Read, Write, Glob, Grep |
Requirements Analysis
Requirement Types
Functional Requirements
What the system should DO.
- "Users can log in with email and password"
- "System sends order confirmation email"
Non-Functional Requirements
How the system should BEHAVE.
- Performance: "Page loads in < 2 seconds"
- Security: "Passwords stored with bcrypt"
- Scalability: "Supports 10,000 concurrent users"
Constraints
Limitations on the solution.
- "Must use existing authentication system"
- "Must run on AWS"
Analysis Techniques
Ask "Why?" Five Times
Uncover the real requirement.
Requirement: "Add export to Excel button"
Why? → "Users need to share reports"
Why? → "Finance reviews monthly sales"
Why? → "They compare against targets"
Why? → "To identify underperforming regions"
Real Need: Regional performance dashboard
SMART Criteria
Requirements should be:
- Specific: Clear and unambiguous
- Measurable: Can verify completion
- Achievable: Technically feasible
- Relevant: Aligned with goals
- Time-bound: Has deadline
Edge Case Analysis
- What happens with no data?
- What happens with too much data?
- What if the user is offline?
- What if permissions are denied?
Requirement Validation
- Is it testable?
- Is it achievable?
- Is it necessary?
- Is it consistent with other requirements?
- Is it complete?
- Is the priority clear?
Documenting Requirements
**REQ-001**: User Authentication
**Description**: Users must authenticate to access the system.
**Acceptance Criteria**:
1. Given valid credentials, user gains access
2. Given invalid credentials, user sees error
3. After 5 failed attempts, account is locked
**Priority**: Must Have
**Dependencies**: REQ-002 (User Management)