What is a specifications document?
A specifications document is a document, used for successful project management, that defines the management plan of a project as a whole. It lists the needs, the objectives, the constraints, the expected features, the deadlines and the budget.
Used internally or externally, a specifications document can become contractual when a service agreement is signed, and it is mandatory in the case of a call for tenders.
Here is a short video that will introduce you to what a specifications document is:
What is the purpose of writing a specifications document?
The specifications document can be used to:
- obtain authorizations to start a project (a construction project, for example),
- think through the objectives and set them,
- assign the project priorities,
- help the key stakeholders give you more relevant advice,
- Estimate the budget, the resources and the project deliverables required for success.
In practical terms, this documentation will serve as the basis for planning and managing a project. The development process cannot start without complete specifications for the project.
Who writes the project specifications document?
Ideally, a project's specifications document should be written by the people who initiate the project. That will mainly be the project manager or the project owner.
Do not hesitate to surround yourself with experts who can advise you, while you collect information from end users and customers, since they are, after all, the ones who will use the solution.
If you have called on a third-party contractor, such as a web agency, all you have to do is validate the various items and make sure that the scope of the project has been covered.
Part 1: Writing the specifications document
To write a specifications document, follow these simple steps
If this is the first time you are creating this type of documentation, we recommend including the information you find most useful. It is important to note that the more detail you put into your project charter, the more convincing it will be, and it will serve as a key reference for all the project stakeholders.
Below you will find a list of 10 items to include in your project specifications document.
Step 1: Present the company
This first part gives a quick description of the company so that third parties understand who they are dealing with. The presentation must include:
- your business sector,
- your core business,
- your flagship products or services,
- the key players in the project.
Here you should not go into too much detail; above all you should list the key information about your company so that a reader can understand the objectives of your project in a few lines.
Step 2: Name the project
To begin with, you should use a descriptive title when naming your project. For example, naming your project "sales campaign" may not be relevant, because it does not describe the objective of the project and does not distinguish that project from others.
However, if a title such as "International sales campaign to generate new leads in Europe" is used, you immediately tell readers what the campaign is for.
Step 3: Present the project
Now it is important to present the project.
Favor short sentences. Three watchwords: precision, concision and clarity. As the saying goes: "too much information kills the information".
Step 4: Identify the context
The project context must contain, in particular, the description of the working environment (means and techniques, reference frameworks, project directives and constraints, etc.) and of the project organization (participants, roles and organization of tasks, etc.)
Step 5: Analyze and state the functional needs
Every project has different objectives. That is why it is essential to know them, in order to go in the right direction and make the right decisions. Your objectives should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound).
the solution must be described through:
- The analysis and statement of its functional needs;
- Its technical constraints and its architecture;
- All the particular requirements inherent to the project.
Example:
Functional needs: access the features of www.monsite.com from the mobile application (viewing profiles, reading articles), use instant messaging to make communication between the site members smoother, and so on.
Constraints: development in Java and Objective C, application intended for Android and iOS (two versions), submission and deployment
Step 6: Define your target audience
By describing your target audiences precisely, you will stand a good chance of reaching them. This is not an easy exercise, but it will save you a great deal of time once the work is done.
Describe your marketing persona, that is to say the fictional profile of your ideal customer, with as much information as possible (age, interests, and so on).
To gather this information, you can:
- ask your users questions;
- analyze information about your prospects;
- read discussions on forums dealing with their problems;
- collect more precise information through the use of contact or download forms.
Step 7: Identify your competitors
In order to position your project successfully, you need to know your main and secondary competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, as well as your unique selling points.
Then you are free to determine your positioning by offering something fundamentally new or better.
Step 8: Use a graphic charter
It is advisable to write this part when you already have a graphic charter and want to keep it for the project. It can also be used if you want to create a new graphic charter in line with the previous one.
Step 9. Define your project budget
Break down the cost structure of the project and where the funds will come from. This section could also list all the additional estimated resources and materials needed to carry out your project and make sure that it matches your resources.
Step 10: Set a schedule
Set a deadline by which the project must be launched. As with the budget, do not underestimate the time needed to complete each item, and be realistic.
For complex projects, do not hesitate to set various milestones and to draw up a schedule in the form of a Gantt chart.
Documents were attached to the original article ("Exemple-de-cahier-des-charges.docx"): the download widget of the former editor did not carry them over into the archive, and they are not republished. The article ended with a reference to a video that the archive did not preserve: the sentence announcing it has been removed.