Consulting
Requirements and specifications
Requirements gathering turns an idea or a business need into a written document that any development team can quote for and build. It is for companies and organisations that want to compare suppliers, run a tender or simply know what they are asking for before they ask. You receive a clear specification with wireframes and an estimate of effort and timeline.
Why projects without a specification go wrong
When a supplier receives a vague brief, they fill the gaps with assumptions. Two proposals for "a management platform" can describe entirely different systems, and the cheapest is usually the one that left the most out. The consequences surface halfway through: change requests, slipping deadlines and arguments about what was or wasn't included. A clear specification heads off most of these problems before they start.
Comparing proposals properly
With the same document in hand, suppliers answer the same question. We add a scoring grid with the criteria that matter in your case, such as feature coverage, timeline, maintenance, code ownership and hosting, so the choice doesn't come down to the bottom line alone. If you like, we can also help you read the proposals you receive.
What we often specify
- Management platforms and internal portals
- Customer-facing apps, on the web or on mobile
- Integrations between tools the business already uses
- Online stores with unusual sales rules
- Systems put out to public tender or requests for quotation
Written for decision-makers and builders
The document reads two ways. Management finds the goals, phases and estimate in plain language. The technical team finds the rules, screens, non-functional requirements and acceptance criteria it needs to get to work. If you then want someone to oversee delivery, a fractional CTO can pick up from here.
What you get
- Interviews with the people who decide and the people who will use the system every day
- A description of goals, user types and business rules
- A prioritised feature list that separates what is essential from what can wait
- Wireframes of the main screens, so everyone sees the same thing before it is built
- Technical, security, data-protection and accessibility requirements
- An estimate of effort and timeline for each phase, without supplier prices
- Acceptance criteria and a scoring grid for comparing proposals
Best for
- Companies about to ask several suppliers for proposals and wanting to compare them
- Organisations preparing a public tender or a request for quotation
- Founders who need to explain the product to developers or investors
- Teams that have tried a project without a specification and don't want to repeat it
Typical features and modules
Communication & leads
- Advanced forms
- Multilingual site
Integrations & automation
Compliance & security
- GDPR pack
- Accessibility
How we deliver it
A first conversation about the idea, its context and what the document is for
Interviews and working sessions with the people involved
A first draft of the requirements and wireframes for your comments
A joint review and a decision on what goes into each phase
Delivery of the final specification, the estimate and the scoring grid
Frequently asked questions
Do we own the document?
Yes. The specification is delivered in an editable format and is yours to use however you like, whether you build with us, another supplier or your own team. Having written it doesn't tie you to us.
Can you bid for a tender you wrote the specification for?
In public procurement, anyone who helped prepare the tender documents may be barred from bidding. We tell you upfront whether that applies in your case and, if it does, we stick to the specification.
How detailed is the document?
Detailed enough that two different suppliers understand the same thing and quote for the same work. We describe what the system does and the rules it must follow without dictating the technology, unless there is a concrete reason to.
Does the estimate include prices?
No. We set out the effort and timeline for each phase, which lets you judge whether the proposals you receive are realistic. What each proposal costs depends on the supplier who submits it.
What if the idea is still at a very early stage?
That is when requirements work helps most. We start from the goals and the users and often arrive at a first version smaller than anyone expected. For a new product, the natural next step can be an MVP.
How much does it cost?
Every project is quoted by hand from your requirements, so pricing is on request. Tell us about the idea in a few lines and what you will use the document for. Request a quote
Shall we talk about your project?
Tell us what you have in mind and what you want to achieve.