Taking the time to cross-reference
each requirement to a deliverable ensures that a deliverable is consistent with
the system requirements. A requirement that cannot be mapped
to a deliverable is an indication that something is missing from the
deliverable. Likewise, a deliverable that cannot be traced
back to a requirement may mean the system is delivering more than required.
Use a Traceability Matrix to Match Requirements to a Deliverable
There are many ways to relate requirements to the deliverables for each stage of the system life cycle.
One method is to:
create a two-dimensional table
allow one row for each requirements specification paragraph (identified by paragraph number from the requirements document)
allow one column per identified configuration item (such as software module or hardware device)
put a check mark at the intersection of row and column if the configuration item satisfies the stated requirement
