Editing Traceability matrix

{{Short description|Document showing verification of requirements}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2013}}
{{Software development process}}

In [[software development]], a '''traceability matrix''' (TM)<ref name="SST">{{Cite book |last=Gotel |first=Orlena |title=Software and Systems Traceability |last2=Cleland-Huang |first2=Jane|author2-link=Jane Cleland-Huang |last3=Hayes |first3=Jane Huffman |last4=Zisman |first4=Andrea |last5=Egyed |first5=Alexander |last6=Grünbacher |first6=Paul |last7=Dekhtyar |first7=Alex |last8=Antoniol |first8=Giuliano |last9=Maletic |first9=Jonathan |date=2012-01-01 |publisher=Springer London |isbn=9781447122388 |editor-last=Cleland-Huang |editor-first=Jane |doi=10.1007/978-1-4471-2239-5_1 |editor-last2=Gotel |editor-first2=Orlena |editor-last3=Zisman |editor-first3=Andrea}}</ref>{{rp|244}} is a document, usually in the form of a table, used to assist in determining the completeness of a relationship by correlating any two [[baseline (configuration management)|baselined documents]] using a many-to-many relationship comparison.<ref name="SST" />{{rp|3–22}} It is often used with high-level [[requirement]]s (these often consist of marketing requirements) and detailed requirements of the product to the matching parts of [[high-level design]], detailed design, [[test plan]], and [[test case]]s.

A requirements traceability matrix may be used to check if the current project requirements are being met, and to help in the creation of a [[request for proposal]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://pmtips.net/requirements-traceability-matrix/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501090905/http://pmtips.net/requirements-traceability-matrix/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 1, 2009 |title=Requirements Traceability Matrix |last=Egeland |first=Brad |date=April 25, 2009 |publisher=pmtips.net |access-date=April 4, 2013}}</ref> [[software requirements specification]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.everyspec.com/DATA-ITEM-DESC-DIDs/DI-IPSC/DI-IPSC-81433A_3709/ |title=DI-IPSC-81433A, DATA ITEM DESCRIPTION SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFICATION (SRS) |date=December 15, 1999 |publisher=everyspec.com |access-date=April 4, 2013}}</ref> various deliverable documents, and project plan tasks.<ref name="PMH">Carlos, Tom (October 21, 2008). Requirements Traceability Matrix - RTM. PM Hut, October 21, 2008. Retrieved October 17, 2009 from http://www.pmhut.com/requirements-traceability-matrix-rtm.</ref>

Common usage is to take the identifier for each of the items of one document and place them in the left column. The identifiers for the other document are placed across the top row. When an item in the left column is related to an item across the top, a mark is placed in the intersecting cell. The number of relationships are added up for each row and each column. This value indicates the mapping of the two items. Zero values indicate that no relationship exists. It must be determined if a relationship must be made. Large values imply that the relationship is too complex and should be simplified.

To ease the creation of traceability matrices, it is advisable to add the relationships to the source documents for both backward and forward traceability.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Software and Systems Traceability|url=https://archive.org/details/softwaresystemst00clel|url-access=limited|last=Gotel|first=Orlena|last2=Cleland-Huang|first2=Jane|author2-link=Jane Cleland-Huang|last3=Hayes|first3=Jane Huffman|last4=Zisman|first4=Andrea|last5=Egyed|first5=Alexander|last6=Grünbacher|first6=Paul|last7=Dekhtyar|first7=Alex|last8=Antoniol|first8=Giuliano|last9=Maletic|first9=Jonathan|date=2012-01-01|publisher=Springer London|isbn=9781447122388|editor-last=Cleland-Huang|editor-first=Jane|pages=[https://archive.org/details/softwaresystemst00clel/page/n21 3]–22|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-1-4471-2239-5_1|editor-last2=Gotel|editor-first2=Orlena|editor-last3=Zisman|editor-first3=Andrea}}</ref> That way, when an item is changed in one baselined document, it is easy to see what needs to be changed in the other.

==Sample traceability matrix==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" width="85px" | Requirement identifiers
! scope="col" width="25px" | <small>Reqs tested</small>
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 UC 1.1
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 UC 1.2
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 UC 1.3
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 UC 2.1
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 UC 2.2
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 UC 2.3.1
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 UC 2.3.2
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 UC 2.3.3
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 UC 2.4
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 UC 3.1
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 UC 3.2
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 TECH 1.1
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 TECH 1.2
! scope="col" width="25px" | REQ1 TECH 1.3
|-
! Test cases
| 321
| 3
| 2
| 3
| 1
| 1
| 1
| 1
| 1
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 1
| 1
| 1
|-
! <small>Tested implicitly</small>
| 77
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! 1.1.1
| 1
| x
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! 1.1.2
| 2
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| x
| x
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! 1.1.3
| 2
| x
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| x
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! 1.1.4
| 1
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| x
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! 1.1.5
| 2
| x
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| x
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! 1.1.6
| 1
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| x
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! 1.1.7
| 1
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| x
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! 1.2.1
| 2
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| x
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| x
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! 1.2.2
| 2
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| x
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| x
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! 1.2.3
| 2
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| x
| x
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! 1.3.1
| 1
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| x
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! 1.3.2
| 1
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| x
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! 1.3.3
| 1
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| x
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! 1.3.4
| 1
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| x
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! 1.3.5
| 1
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| x
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! etc. ...
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! 5.6.2
| 1
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| x
|}

==See also==

*[[Requirements traceability]]
*[[Software engineering]]
*[[List of requirements engineering tools]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100601214050/http://www.compaid.com/caiinternet/ezine/westfall-bidirectional.pdf Bidirectional Requirements Traceability] by Linda Westfall
* [http://www.stickyminds.com/r.asp?F=DART_6051 StickyMinds article: Traceability Matrix] by Karthikeyan V
*[https://people.eecs.ku.edu/~saiedian/Pub/Journal/2009-Saiedian-JDSE.pdf Why Software Requirements Traceability Remains a Challenge] by Andrew Kannenberg and Dr. Hossein Saiedian

{{Software engineering}}

[[Category:Software testing]]
[[Category:Software requirements]]