How do I build a requirements traceability matrix?
Short answer
A traceability matrix links every requirement to its origin and to what satisfies it: the meeting or document where it appeared, the decision that changed it, the design item, the task and the test. Build it as a table with one row per requirement. Segua.ai keeps it up to date automatically, because each requirement is created with its source already attached.
How to do it
- 1
One row per requirement
Columns: identifier, statement, source, related decisions, design item, task, test, status.
- 2
Fill the source column first
Origin is the column auditors read. Meeting, speaker and minute, or document and page.
- 3
Link forward to delivery
Task and test are what prove the requirement was implemented, not just written.
- 4
Track coverage, not completeness
The useful number is the percentage of requirements with a test and an owner; a matrix with empty columns is decoration.
Good to know
- Segua.ai shows coverage as a percentage and lists the requirements with no source or no test.
- The matrix exports to CSV and to Word.
- Identifiers are stable across revisions, so old exports stay comparable.
- Requirements imported from an existing file join the same matrix.
Related questions
- Do I need a matrix for a small project?
- If the project has an audit, a contract or a certification, yes. Otherwise a requirements register with sources is usually enough.
- Can I import requirements I already have?
- Yes, from a file; they are matched against what exists instead of being duplicated.
- Does it work with Jira?
- Requirements can be exported for Jira, so the delivery side stays where your team already works.
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