How to prepare a software brief? A complete guide

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Preparing a professional software brief is a key step in the process of creating effective IT solutions. A carefully crafted brief not only improves communication with the software house, but also significantly increases the chances of success for the entire project. In this comprehensive guide, we show you step-by-step how to create an effective brief that will help you precisely define your needs and expectations from your new software.

What is a software brief?

A software brief is a strategic document that details the assumptions, requirements and goals of the planned IT solution. It is a kind of communication bridge between the ordering organization and the development team that will be responsible for the implementation of the project. A professionally prepared brief is the foundation of successful cooperation and minimizes the risk of misunderstandings at later stages of software development.

According to the report “Project Success in Digital Transformation” published by PMI in 2023, IT projects that have a detailed brief are 35% more likely to be completed on time and within budget. However, a brief is not simply a technical specification - it is a comprehensive document combining business, technical and organizational aspects.

Why prepare a brief before starting an IT project?

Preparing a brief before the start of an IT project brings multidimensional benefits to an organization. First and foremost, the brief development process forces an in-depth analysis of needs and expectations, allowing for early identification of potential challenges and risks. This is the point at which an organization can precisely define its goals and priorities, even before committing significant resources to software development.

A well-prepared brief also helps in effective communication with potential contractors. A software house receiving a detailed brief can better understand the business context of the project and suggest the most appropriate technical solutions. What’s more, an accurate brief often translates into more precise pricing and schedules, reducing the risk of budget overruns or implementation delays.

What are the key elements of a good brief for a software house?

An effective brief for a software house should contain a number of precisely defined elements that form a complete picture of the planned project. First, basic information about the organization and business context should be included. Another key element is a detailed description of the project objectives and expected business results.

The brief should also include a detailed functional specification of the planned software, a description of the target audience and technical requirements. It is also important to identify project constraints, such as budget, schedule or regulatory compliance requirements.

Element of the brief	Meaning	Sample questions to consider
Business objectives	Fundamental	What problems is the software supposed to solve? What are the measurable goals of the project?
Features	Key	What specific features should the software have? Which ones are priorities?
Target group	Relevant	Who are the end users? What are their needs and expectations?
Technical requirements	Critical	What technologies must be used? With which systems is integration required?
Schedule	Important	What are the key deadlines? Is the project to be implemented in phases?

How to describe business goals and expectations in a brief?

Precise definition of business goals and expectations is the foundation of an effective brief. In this section, it is crucial to translate overall business needs into specific, measurable project goals. A good practice is to use the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) methodology to define project goals.

Particular attention should be paid to defining success indicators (KPIs) that will allow an objective assessment of whether the implemented software meets the business objectives. For example, if the goal is to automate processes, specific processes and the expected level of reduction in their execution time should be indicated.

It is also worth considering the so-called “soft goals” of the project, such as improving user satisfaction or increasing the effectiveness of interdepartmental cooperation. Although more difficult to measure, these goals are often crucial to the long-term success of the implementation.

How do you characterize the company and the business context?

Providing the business context in the brief helps the development team better understand the specifics of the organization and the industry. This section should include information about the company’s structure, key business processes and market position. It is also important to describe the main challenges and opportunities facing the organization.

It is a good practice to present a map of project stakeholders, along with their roles and level of involvement. This allows a better understanding of the network of dependencies and the needs of different groups in the organization. It is also a good idea to identify the decision makers and their roles in the project, which will improve subsequent communication and decision-making.

How to describe in detail the functionalities of the planned software?

Functionality description is one of the most critical parts of the brief. According to a study conducted by Digital.ai in its “State of Agile 2023” report, inaccurate specification of functional requirements is the cause of problems in 45% of IT projects. That’s why a systematic and precise approach to this section is so important.

It is recommended to divide the functionality into modules or functional areas, and then describe each function from the perspective of the end user. It can be helpful to use user stories (user stories) or use cases (use cases) that illustrate the practical application of each function.

Functional area	Description	Priority
User management	System of roles and permissions, registration and login process	High
Reporting module	Report generation, data export, view personalization	Medium
External integrations	API to communicate with external systems	High

How to determine the target audience and users of the system?

An in-depth understanding of the target audience is crucial to designing intuitive and effective software. This section of the brief should provide detailed characteristics of all user groups that will use the system. It is worth considering their technical competencies, user interface preferences and specific needs based on their roles in the organization.

The IBM Institute for Business Value, in its report “The User-Centered Enterprise” (2023), highlights that projects that include a detailed analysis of user needs achieve a 40% higher adoption rate for new IT solutions. That’s why it makes sense to include user personae in the brief, representing different target groups, along with their goals, challenges and expectations from the system.

What technical information should be included in the brief?

The technical section of the brief should include all relevant requirements and technological limitations of the project. It is crucial to strike a balance between precision and flexibility - specifying the technology in too much detail can limit the software house’s ability to optimize the solution.

Requirements for:

Hosting environment and infrastructure
Integration with existing systems
Performance and scalability
Compatibility with various platforms and devices
Security and data protection standards

Technical aspect	Requirements	Justification
Infrastructure	Cloud-native, AWS/Azure preferred	Ensure scalability and high availability
Architecture	Microservices	Flexibility of development and ease of maintenance
Security	Compliance with ISO 27001, RODO	Regulatory and industry requirements

How to present constraints and non-functional requirements?

Non-functional requirements often determine the practical usability of software, even though they are not directly related to its functionalities. This section of the brief should detail expectations for performance, reliability, security and other quality aspects of the system.

It is crucial to define measurable parameters for each non-functional requirement. For example, instead of a general statement “the system must be efficient,” specific values should be specified, such as “system response time must not exceed 200ms for 95% of queries with a load of 1,000 concurrent users.” Gartner, in its report “Application Performance Monitoring” (2023), emphasizes that specifying performance requirements precisely at the brief stage reduces system optimization costs by an average of 30%.

Particular attention should be paid to system availability and fault tolerance requirements. For business-critical systems, it is worth defining an acceptable level of availability (e.g. 99.9%) and a maximum acceptable downtime.

How do you determine the budget and timeline in a brief?

Precise definition of the financial and time frame of the project requires detailed analysis and a realistic approach. In this section, you should present not only the total budget, but also its breakdown into different stages of the project and how the work will be accounted for. It is also worth including a budget reserve for unforeseen circumstances or additional functionality.

The schedule should take into account the key milestones of the project and the dependencies between the various stages. Keep in mind the time needed for testing, patching and the implementation process. According to recent industry research, IT projects with precisely defined milestones and flexible time reserves are 40% more likely to be completed on time.

Project stage	Duration	% of budget	Milestones
Analysis and desig	4-6 weeks	15%	Approved system desig
Development MVP	12-16 weeks	45%	A working prototype
Testing and optimization	4-6 weeks	25%	UAT tests completed
Implementatio	2-4 weeks	15%	Production system

What examples and benchmarks are worth including in the brief?

The use of examples and benchmarks in the brief significantly facilitates the communication of expectations for the planned software. In this section, it is useful to provide inspiration from existing solutions, both from your own industry and from other sectors. However, it is important to focus on the specific aspects to be exemplified, rather than a general imitation of other systems.

Benchmarks should address various aspects of the system:

User interface and user experience (UX)
Performance and scalability
Functionality and integration capabilities
Business model and monetizatio

How do you describe the current processes and systems to be replaced?

A thorough analysis and description of existing processes and systems is crucial to ensure a smooth transition. This section should outline not only the technical aspects of the solutions currently in use, but also the business practices that have evolved around them. It is important to identify both the strengths of the current solutions that are worth keeping and the weaknesses that the new system is expected to eliminate.

A valuable component of this section is a business process map, showing the flow of information and decisions in the organization. It is also useful to include statistics on the use of current systems, the most frequently performed operations and identified bottlenecks. Such analysis helps to better understand the real needs of users and avoid repeating current problems in a new solution.

How do you define project success criteria?

Defining clear and measurable success criteria is the foundation of effective project implementation evaluation. Well-defined success criteria help all parties involved understand when a project can be considered completed and successful. In the context of software development, these criteria should go beyond the mere delivery of technical functionality.

It is useful to divide success criteria into several key areas. In the business area, these can be specific metrics, such as a reduction in customer service time by a certain percentage or an increase in conversion in sales processes. In the technical area, measures of system performance, reliability and security are important. McKinsey Digital, in its Digital Success Metrics (2023) report, indicates that projects with precisely defined success criteria are 65% more likely to achieve their business goals.

Area	Example criterio	Measurement method
Business	Reduction in handling time by 30%	Comparison of pre- and post-implementation times
Technical	System availability 99.9%	Monitoring of running time
Utility	User satisfaction > 4.5/5	Surveys and user research

What are the most common mistakes when creating a brief for a software house?

Avoiding common mistakes in the brief creation process can significantly increase the chances of project success. One of the most common mistakes is describing the requirements in too general terms, which leads to misunderstandings and the need for numerous changes during implementation. Equally problematic is imposing technical solutions in too much detail, which can limit the innovation and effectiveness of the proposed solutions by the software house.

Another common mistake is to skip describing the business context and focus only on the technical aspects. Failure to understand the broader context can lead to a solution that is technically correct, but does not meet real business needs. It is also worth avoiding underestimating the time and budget needed for testing and the implementation process.

How to prepare a brief for different types of software?

The specifics of the brief should be tailored to the type of software planned. For web applications, special attention should be paid to aspects related to responsiveness, compatibility with different browsers and performance in a web environment. For mobile applications, issues related to user experience on small screens, power management and integration with device functions will be key.

For desktop software, aspects related to installation, updates and integration with the operating system are important. For each type of software, specific security and data protection requirements must be considered. For example, mobile applications often require additional security related to data storage on the device, while web applications need to focus on data transmission security.

How do you prioritize functionality in a brief?

Proper prioritization of functionality is critical for effective project and budget management. It can be helpful to use the MoSCoW (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have) method, which allows you to clearly categorize functionalities according to their importance to the success of the project. The first focus should be on functionalities that are critical to the operation of the system and the achievement of core business objectives.

Category	Characteristics	Example of functionality
Must have	Critical to operation	Login and authorization system
Should have	Important, but not critical	Advanced search filters
Could have	Additional improvements	Interface personalization
Won't have	Beyond the scope of the current version	Integration with social media

How to describe integrations with other systems?

Accurately describing the integration requirements is a key part of the brief, especially in corporate environments where the new software must work with the existing IT infrastructure. This section should detail all the systems with which you plan to connect, along with the characteristics of these integrations and expected data flows.

For any planned integration, it is worth determining the nature of the integration - whether it is to be implemented in real time or in batch mode, what is the expected format for data exchange, and what security mechanisms should be used. It is also important to take into account potential limitations of existing systems, such as performance limits or specific requirements for communication protocols.

For legacy systems, special attention should be paid to documenting available interfaces and potential technical challenges. According to a study conducted by Deloitte Digital in its report “Legacy Systems Integration” (2023), proper integration planning with legacy systems can reduce maintenance costs by up to 40% in the long term.

Integration aspect	Requirements description	Technical notes
API	REST/SOAP, data format, call frequency	Documentation of interfaces
Sync	Real-time vs batch, directionality	SLA, error handling
Security	Authorization, encryptio	Compliance with standards

What security aspects should be included in the brief?

Application security should be taken into account already at the stage of creating the brief, as it is much more costly and risky to implement security later. This section should detail the requirements for data protection, user authentication and ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of information processed by the system.

It is crucial to determine the level of sensitivity of the data being processed and the associated legal and regulatory requirements. For systems that process personal data, it is essential to consider the requirements of the RODO and industry security standards. Forrester’s Application Security Trends (2023) report highlights that projects that consider comprehensive security requirements at the brief stage reduce the costs associated with subsequent security audits by an average of 60%.

Special attention should be paid to:

User authentication and authorization mechanisms
Encryption of data at rest and during transmission
Logging and monitoring activity in the system
Backup and disaster recovery procedures
Compliance with the organization’s security policy

How to present support and maintenance requirements?

Ensuring effective support and maintenance of the system after implementation is critical to the long-term success of the project. The brief should clearly define expectations regarding the level of support, response time to requests, and processes for system maintenance and development. It is also important to define roles and responsibilities on both the vendor and the contracting organization’s side.

According to recent industry studies, maintenance costs can account for up to 70% of a system’s total cost of ownership (TCO) over a five-year period. That’s why it’s so important to precisely define requirements for:

SLA levels for different categories of requests
Update and patch processes
Monitoring and reporting of system performance
Version management and test environments
Technical and user documentatio

How to plan the development and scaling of the system in the brief?

Last but not least, the brief should outline the vision for the future development and scaling of the system. This section should describe the organization’s anticipated future directions and the associated flexibility and scalability requirements of the solution. Gartner, in its Future-Ready Software Architecture (2023) report, indicates that systems designed with future growth in mind generate 45% lower modification and expansion costs.

When planning system development, it is worth considering:

Projected growth in number of users and data volume
Potential new functionalities and modules
Integration possibilities with future technologies
Architecture flexibility and expandability
Change and update management strategy

Development aspect	Current requirements	3-year forecast
Users	1000 simultaneous	5000 simultaneous
Data	500 GB per year	2 TB per year
Locations	2 countries	10 countries
Integrations	5 systems	15+ systems

A well-prepared software brief is the foundation of a successful IT project. By precisely defining all requirements, clearly defining goals and expectations, and including development aspects, you can significantly reduce project risks and increase the chances of implementation success. Remember that a brief is not just a technical document - it is a strategic communication tool between the organization and the software supplier, which should ensure a common understanding of the goals and how to achieve them.

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