Requirement Traceability Matrix – RTM

In this article, we will be covering following:

• What is Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM)?
• Requirement Traceability Matrix – Parameters
• How to Create a Matrix?
• Mapping with Simple Example

What is Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM)?

• RTM is a document that links requirements throughout the process of validation .
• It is to ensure that all requirements defined for a software are tested.
• It is a tool for the validation team to make sure that requirements are met during the validation of a software.
• Matrix is created at the beginning of project on the basis of the project’s scope and deliverable’s.
• It is bi-directional, as it tracks the requirement forward by examining the output of deliverable’s & backward by looking at the business requirement that was specified for a particular feature of the product.

Requirement Traceability Matrix – Parameters:

• Requirement ID
• Requirement Type (BRD and FSD)
• Risk
• Test Scenario ID
• Test Case ID
• Status
• Defects ID

 

How to Create a Matrix?

Requirement Phase

QA Team start writing Test Scenarios & eventually Test Cases based on some input documents – Business Requirements Document (BRD), Functional Specification Document (FSD) and Technical Design Document (optional).

Ex:- BRD & FSD

BRD	FSD
BRD	FSD

Design Phase

Based on the two input documents, below is the list of high-level scenarios to test:

For each Test Scenario, you are going to have at least 1 or more Test Cases. So, include another column and write the Test Case IDs as shows below:

At this stage, Traceability Matrix can be used to find gaps. For example, you see that there are no test cases written for FSD section 1.2 in the above Traceability Matrix.

As a general rule, any empty spaces in the Traceability Matrix are potential areas for investigation. So a gap like this can mean one of the two things:

• The test team has somehow missed considering the “Existing user” functionality.
• The “Existing user” functionality has been deferred to later or removed from the application’s functionality requirements.

If it is scenario 1, it will indicate the places where test team needs to work more to ensure 100% coverage. In scenario 2, TM not just show gaps it also points to incorrect documentation that needs immediate correction.

Execution Phase

Let us now expand the TM to include test case execution status and defects.

The below version of the Traceability Matrix is generally prepared during or after test execution:

 

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