Important Software Testing Documentation: SRS, FRS and BRS

Professionals working in software development and testing have to deal with specific kinds of requirement specifications when tackling a new product. Accurate and clear requirements are needed for a software development team to work on the creation of the right product, and this documentation makes the overall development process easier.

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There are different types of requirement specifications, but right now, we are going to describe three main document types that are used specifically in software testing. These are SRS (software requirement specification), FRS (functional requirement specification) and BRS (business requirement specification). It’s worth noting that all these documents are used depending on the company type, standards and process organization. Down below, we will tell you more about each of these documents and explain the main difference between FRS and SRS documents and the difference between BRS and FRS in software testing.

What Is SRS Document?

SRS, or software requirement specification, is a document prepared by a team of system analysts that is used to describe software that will be developed, the main business purpose and functionality of a certain product, and how it performs its core functions. An SRS is a basis for any project as it consists of a framework that will be followed by each team member. An SRS is also a base of a contract with stakeholders (users/clients) that includes all the details about the functionality of the future product and how it is supposed to run. An SRS is used widely by software developers during the process of product or program development.

An SRS includes both functional and non-functional requirements and uses cases as well. A perfect SRS document takes into account, not just the way software will interact with other software or when it’s embedded in hardware, but also potential users and the ways they will interact with the software. It also contains references to tables and diagrams to get a clear understanding of all product-related details.

An SRS document helps team members from different departments stay on the same and make sure all the requirements are fulfilled. This document also allows minimizing software development expenses and time.

What Is BRS Document?

So what is a BRS in software testing? BRS stands for a business requirement specification which is aimed to show how to meet the business requirements on a broader level. A BRS document is one of the most widely accepted specification documents. It’s quite essential, and a BRS is usually created at the very beginning of the product’s life cycle and describes the core product goals or needs the client wants to achieve with certain software or product. This one is usually created by a business analyst based on other stakeholders specifications and after a thorough analysis of the client company. Usually, the final version of the document is reviewed by the client to make sure that all business stakeholders’ expectations are correct.

A BRS includes all the requirements requested by a client. Generally, it consists of the product’s purpose, users, the overall scope of work, all listed features and functions, usability and performance requirements. In this type of document use cases are not included, as well as diagrams and tables. A BRS is used mainly by upper and middle management, product’s investors, business analysts.

What Is FRS Document?

Last but not least is the FRS document. An FRS, or functional requirement specification is the document that describes all the functions that software or product has to perform. In fact, it’s a step-by-step sequence of all operations required to develop a product from very start to end. An FRS explains the details of how certain software components will behave during user interaction. This document is created by qualified software developers and engineers, and it is considered the result of close collaboration between testers and developers. The main difference, when compared to the SRS document, is that the FRS does not include use cases. It might also contain diagrams and tables, but this is not obligatory.

This one is the most detailed document as it explains in-depth how the software is expected to function (including business aspects, compliance, security requirements) as it also has to satisfy all the requirements mentioned in both the SRS and BRS documents. An FRS helps developers to understand what product they are supposed to create, and software testers get a better understanding of different test cases and scenarios in which the product is expected to be tested.

Getting a better understanding of the requirement specifications is paramount for successful job performance. Once you know more about these core testing documentation types, it will be much easier to work with them and increase the performance quality and productivity to achieve better results much faster.

Further Reading

Software Requirement Document

10 Typical Mistakes in Product Specs 

Software Requirement Document