Start with the current process
Choose three to five typical tasks from actual work. For an inquiry process, these might be recording a new request, assigning an owner and finding an earlier decision. Describe the input, action and desired result of each in one short sentence.
Record what is difficult today. Does searching take too long, are permissions missing or is information entered repeatedly? Different problems need different solutions. A new tool does not resolve unclear ownership if ownership remains unclear in the new system.
Include people who actually perform the task. An administrator’s perspective differs from that of an occasional user. Both may matter, but they should not disappear into a single general demand for ease of use.
Distinguish essential, helpful and undecided
An essential requirement is a condition without which the intended process cannot work. “A former team member must not be able to read new client entries” is more specific than “good security”. Describe observable behavior rather than a desired impression.
Helpful functions improve the process without automatically disqualifying an alternative that lacks them. Mark these separately. Keep unanswered questions visible too: perhaps direct comments from external people have not yet been agreed. A question mark should not quietly become a mandatory feature in the assessment.
Record data needs and constraints
Which information must be imported, edited and eventually exported? Name formats, relationships and attachments where relevant. “CSV export available” is insufficient if important comments or relationships disappear in the process.
Describe environmental constraints: devices, available browsers, normal connectivity and required languages. Later, check actual product information against these conditions. A mobile-use requirement should not be considered satisfied simply because an app exists.
Capture organisational prerequisites as well. Who can administer accounts? Who handles questions from colleagues? An application may fit functionally while creating support work for which nobody has allocated time.
Translate one requirement into a test
Take “find earlier decisions quickly”. A test could ask somebody who did not create the record to locate the most recently confirmed delivery version using a project name. They cannot use prepared direct links. Observe the steps and whether the result is unambiguous.
Define how success will be recognized. It might be the correct version found, a completely transferred record or suitably restricted access. An arbitrary score without an observable outcome makes the decision harder to explain.
Use the same test for every seriously considered tool. Different demonstrations often highlight different strengths. Comparable tasks reveal whether a product supports your process or merely looks persuasive in its own presentation.
A deliberately unmet preference
Suppose a team wants both custom color labels and complete export of its tasks. Color coding may save a few search steps, while export is needed for a later handover. Both preferences can appear in the list without automatically carrying equal importance.
If a tool satisfies export but lacks the desired color option, the decision may still be positive. Record which existing alternative will provide orientation. This makes a conscious limitation visible instead of allowing it to become a surprising missing feature after adoption.
Conversely, attractive color coding should not conceal incomplete export. The requirements list is particularly useful when an immediately visible feature is more persuasive than a less conspicuous but necessary workflow.
Keep the list short and revisable
Start with the decisive requirements. A very long list can create an appearance of thoroughness while many items have no effect on the choice. Remove duplicate wording and explain the underlying task wherever a point remains unclear.
When a trial produces new information, deliberately revise the list and record why. This differs from reinterpreting requirements afterwards to fit a favourite product. You should ultimately be able to explain which work the chosen tool supports and which limitations you consciously accept.
