Find out how to write a technical specification [with examples]
Earlier than writing a single scrap of code, a smart software program engineer will at all times write a technical specification, often known as a tech spec. This doc prevents the event crew from losing effort and time on pointless steps or misunderstandings internally and amongst stakeholders.
This text takes a have a look at the worth of a technical specification and the significance of utilizing knowledgeable template. monday.com has labored intently with engineers to craft a technical specification template that saves time and ensures that each one bases are coated.
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What’s a technical specification?
A technical specification is an in depth and complete doc that describes all technical procedures associated to product improvement. It covers all of the important, nitty-gritty details about the method of product improvement.
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The event crew lead often writes a technical specification. After studying a technical specification, the event crew and stakeholders ought to know:
- How the proposed product goes to behave
- What it could possibly and might’t do
- The way it’s going to be developed
- All techniques which might be going for use/modified/created to help improvement, safety measures for knowledge privateness
- The plan for rollout and rollback if vital
- Enterprise-related metrics
- Help and upkeep plans
- The mission timeline
Technical specification vs. practical specification
A technical specification is typically confused with a practical specification. Whereas each paperwork lay the groundwork for a profitable mission, there are key variations.
A practical specification is predicated on enterprise necessities. It focuses on person expertise by taking a look at product performance. In distinction, a technical specification focuses on inner programming. It consists of plans for implementation, testing, and the advantages of particular options.
Put merely, a practical specification is about what you need out of your software program improvement, and a technical specification is about the way you get there.
Why use a technical specification?
A technical specification, particularly written utilizing template, is like your product improvement bible. Right here’s why a well-written technical specification is so essential whereas creating a digital product.
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Retains everybody on the identical web page
It’s simpler than you may suppose for a improvement crew to agree on particular necessities and objectives however find yourself constructing various things or failing to ship on guarantees made to stakeholders. A well-written technical specification retains your engineers on activity and your stakeholders well-informed by ensuring that everybody sees it from the identical perspective.
Lead engineers ought to be certain that technical specs talk every little thing identified concerning the product necessities. It must also talk its objectives, options, limitations, and the timeline vital to construct it.
Offers readability
Due to the exact nature of software program engineering, even the smallest misunderstanding may cause catastrophic setbacks. It’s additionally important for stakeholders and traders to grasp precisely what is feasible. Folks with much less experience are likely to underestimate the technical necessities of formidable initiatives, and any unrealistic expectations must be nipped within the bud. Utilizing a technical specification template allows you to relaxation assured that what you’re planning to construct is feasible and that each one your bases are coated, right down to the final element.
Prompts essential questions
A technical specification additionally offers the creator a good suggestion of open questions that also want answering. Some parts of the mission could solely turn out to be clear after trial and error. The estimates of time and assets wanted could shift and alter in the course of the mission. If there are any uncertainties in your roadmap, a technical specification helps establish them and their potential affect.
A technical specification additionally acts as a rationale in your strategy to a mission. There ought to at all times be justification for the strategies you select to make use of in your mission. When writing your specs paperwork, you could discover that there’s a higher resolution. A technical specification helps make clear issues for the event crew and stakeholders.
What are the steps to finish a technical specification?
Let’s have a look at a sensible instance of a technical specification at work. On this instance, you’re designing a brand new meals supply app. A complete technical specification template will assist make clear your objectives and nail down the main points.
Preliminary questions
First, you’d want to determine the way in which your app behaves. You wish to reply questions like:
- What would you like your app to do?
- What drawback does it clear up for the person?
- How will your product enhance on present meals supply apps on the market?
Right here’s your likelihood to be particular about what your system can and can’t deal with. That is the part that paints an in depth image of what you wish to construct.
Set limitations
Now it’s essential to set up what isn’t attainable for the event of your app. That is known as the “out of scope” part of the technical specification. Any grand, unrealistic concepts from stakeholders should be confronted with experience-based proof from the mission supervisor. For instance, the app can not settle for funds in cryptocurrency.
Decide your strategy
On this part of your technical specification, you may define how you intend to sort out every factor of your mission. You must also embrace your reasoning. For instance, if you wish to use biometric safety for person login, right here is the place you clarify why it’s the finest strategy and the way you intend to execute it.
One other essential practical specification is safety and privateness. Your doc ought to define how you intend to guard person privateness and stop breaches.
Testing and help
Lastly, you define your testing, deployment, and help methods. For instance, you probably have organized for a 100-person alpha take a look at, element that right here. You’ll be able to specify what platforms you’ll launch on, the way you’ll monitor suggestions, and the way you’ll supply help.
Due to the character of technical specs, these paperwork can get fairly detailed. The set of necessities you embrace will rely upon the product you’re constructing. Living proof is that this technical specification by NetBit for a 650 Watt DC-DC Energy Module.
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monday.com’s technical specification template
At monday.com, we perceive the various transferring components concerned in software program engineering. That’s why we’ve developed a technical specification template that does the tedious give you the results you want whereas including dynamic performance. Listed below are a few of the key options of our technical specification template.
Seamless integrations
Knowledge migration isn’t any powerful feat with our template — you may simply import knowledge from Excel into the template and you’ll export knowledge out of your board into an Excel sheet. You too can combine our template together with your different improvement instruments for a seamless transition. From Jira and Pingdom to Github, our template is able to go.
Easy collaboration
With monday.com’s Work OS, you may share recordsdata and talk immediately with everybody and anybody. With everybody within the loop always, your crew can work in direction of a standard purpose, figuring out that each one mission specs are accessible and customizable 24/7.
Totally customizable
Each software program improvement mission is exclusive, every with its personal software program necessities. Our technical specification template is absolutely customizable, so you may add and take away steps and sections as you see match in your mission. This absolutely editable and integrative template permits you to make modifications with out worrying over ease of use and readability.
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Associated templates
Should you like our technical specification template, you’ll need to check out these too.
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You too can attempt utilizing a product improvement planning template, which we name a product roadmap template on monday.com. This template serves as a centralized repository for planning, constructing, and managing your sprints. It permits you to monitor progress, deadlines, homeowners, and extra. Due to our product improvement planning template, organizing and monitoring sprints has by no means been simpler.
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Set up your product and have launch objectives in a single place with our options and releases roadmap. Assign priorities to main releases, get automated deadline reminders, and examine crew suggestions whereas holding your roadmap tidy. With our roadmap template, you may have a clearly laid out plan to handle and execute releases for every quarter.
Scrum software program improvement template
This Scrum software program improvement template retains your crew on monitor by permitting you to prioritize your backlog, monitor bugs, and replicate on earlier sprints. Your initiatives have by no means been this organized.
Kanban software program improvement template
Use the Kanban software program improvement template to handle your Kanban workflow whereas bettering effectivity. That is accomplished by monitoring progress, assigning motion priorities, and holding your plan firmly in view with our premade Kanban phases.
FAQs a few technical specification
What’s the that means of technical specification?
Because the title suggests, this doc supplies element and specifics across the sensible parts of a mission. Any technical facet of your product improvement plan is printed and motivated in a technical specification.
What are technical specs used for?
Technical specs are used to supply readability on particular particulars of a software program improvement mission. They preserve your crew engaged on the identical objectives with a agency concept of find out how to go about it. They’re additionally used to maintain exterior stakeholders within the loop.
How do you write a technical specification?
Writing a technical specification from scratch could be tough, however monday.com makes it simpler with a state-of-the-art template. Our Work OS takes the stress out of mapping out your technical necessities and approaches.
What makes technical specification?
A superb technical specification requires consideration to element coupled with easy presentation. monday.com’s technical specification template permits you to develop on vital areas with out shedding accessibility. Technical specs are wordy paperwork by nature, and our template will enable you trim the fats with out shedding any important particulars to set you up for a profitable mission.
