SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS TEMPLATE

 

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction 1.1 Purpose 1.2 Scope 1.3 Definitions and Acronyms 1.4 References
  2. Business Requirements
  3. Functional Requirements 3.1 Content Creation 3.2 Page Creation 3.3 News Posts 3.4 Permissions Management
  4. Non-Functional Requirements 4.1 Performance 4.2 Security and Permissions 4.3 Usability 4.4 Reliability and Availability 4.5 Scalability 4.6 Compatibility
  5. Assumptions and Dependencies
  6. Constraints and Risks
  7. Appendices A. Glossary B. Use Case Diagrams C. Data Flow Diagrams D. Approval Signatures

1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose

This document outlines the requirements for developing a SharePoint Online solution to enable the creation and management of content, pages, and news posts while ensuring seamless integration with SharePoint's native permissions model. The solution aims to enhance collaboration, content governance, and user productivity within the organization by leveraging SharePoint Online's modern capabilities.

The template serves as a living document to capture stakeholder needs, guide development, and verify solution delivery. It ensures alignment between business objectives and technical implementation.

1.2 Scope

In Scope:

  • Development of custom web parts, workflows, or Power Automate flows for content, page, and news post creation.
  • Integration with SharePoint Online lists, libraries, and sites for storing and managing content.
  • Enforcement of SharePoint permissions (e.g., read, write, edit, approve) at the site, list, library, and item levels.
  • Support for modern SharePoint experiences (e.g., modern pages, web parts, and news web parts).

Out of Scope:

  • Migration of legacy SharePoint content from on-premises versions.
  • Custom authentication outside of Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD).
  • Integration with third-party systems (e.g., external CRMs) unless specified.
  • Mobile app development beyond SharePoint's native mobile responsiveness.

1.3 Definitions and Acronyms

  • SharePoint Online (SPO): Microsoft's cloud-based collaboration platform.
  • Web Part: Reusable component for adding functionality to SharePoint pages.
  • Modern Page: SharePoint's responsive page layout for content and news.
  • News Post: SharePoint feature for publishing announcements and updates.
  • Permissions: Access controls defining what users/groups can do (e.g., Contribute, Read).
  • PnP (Patterns and Practices): Microsoft's guidance for SharePoint development.
  • SPFx (SharePoint Framework): Framework for building client-side web parts.

1.4 References

2. Business Requirements

[Describe high-level business needs. Use bullet points or numbered lists for clarity.]

  • BR-001: The solution must enable non-technical users (e.g., content authors) to create and publish content without requiring developer intervention.
  • BR-002: Ensure all created content respects organizational hierarchies and permissions to prevent unauthorized access or edits.
  • BR-003: Support content lifecycle management, including drafting, reviewing, publishing, and archiving.
  • BR-004: Integrate with existing SharePoint sites to promote reuse and reduce silos.
  • BR-005: Provide analytics or reporting on content usage and engagement (if applicable).

Stakeholder Input: [Capture feedback from business owners, e.g., "Marketing team requires approval workflows for news posts."]

3. Functional Requirements

[Number requirements sequentially, e.g., FR-001. Use "Shall," "Should," or "Will" for precision. Include acceptance criteria where possible.]

3.1 Content Creation

  • FR-001: The solution shall allow users to create new content items (e.g., documents, lists) in designated SharePoint libraries, with fields for metadata (e.g., title, author, tags).
    • Acceptance Criteria: User with Contribute permissions can upload a file and set metadata via a custom form; validation ensures required fields are completed.
  • FR-002: The solution shall support versioning and check-in/check-out for content to maintain audit trails.
    • Acceptance Criteria: Changes to content trigger version history; users can revert to previous versions if permitted.
  • FR-003: The solution shall integrate with Microsoft 365 tools (e.g., Word Online) for inline editing.

3.2 Page Creation

  • FR-004: The solution shall provide a template-based interface for creating modern SharePoint pages, including sections for text, images, and web parts.
    • Acceptance Criteria: Users can select from predefined templates (e.g., homepage, landing page); pages are saved to a site pages library.
  • FR-005: The solution shall allow embedding of dynamic web parts (e.g., news feed, document library) on pages.
    • Acceptance Criteria: Page loads without errors and displays embedded content based on user permissions.
  • FR-006: The solution shall support page approval workflows before publishing.

3.3 News Posts

  • FR-007: The solution shall enable creation of news posts via a simplified editor, with options for scheduling publication.
    • Acceptance Criteria: Post includes title, body, images, and audience targeting; scheduled posts publish automatically.
  • FR-008: The solution shall allow news posts to be targeted to specific audiences (e.g., via Microsoft 365 groups).
    • Acceptance Criteria: Only targeted users see the post in their news feed; visibility respects permissions.
  • FR-009: The solution shall support news post expiration or archiving after a defined period.

3.4 Permissions Management

  • FR-010: The solution shall inherit and enforce SharePoint permissions at all levels (site, list, item) without custom overrides unless explicitly configured.
    • Acceptance Criteria: A user without Edit permissions cannot modify content; attempts log an error or redirect.
  • FR-011: The solution shall provide an admin interface to assign or break permission inheritance for specific content/pages/news posts.
    • Acceptance Criteria: Admins can grant unique permissions to groups/users; changes propagate correctly.
  • FR-012: The solution shall audit permission changes and access attempts via SharePoint's built-in logging.
    • Acceptance Criteria: Reports show who accessed what and when, queryable via Power BI or similar.

4. Non-Functional Requirements

4.1 Performance

  • NFR-001: The solution shall load pages and content creation forms within 3 seconds under normal load (up to 100 concurrent users).
  • NFR-002: API calls to SharePoint (e.g., via REST or Graph API) shall not exceed 500ms latency.

4.2 Security and Permissions

  • NFR-003: All data transmission shall use HTTPS/TLS 1.2+; comply with Microsoft 365 security baselines.
  • NFR-004: Permissions shall be role-based (RBAC) and least-privilege enforced; no hard-coded credentials.
  • NFR-005: The solution shall handle sensitive content (e.g., PII) with additional encryption if required.

4.3 Usability

  • NFR-006: The interface shall be intuitive, following SharePoint's modern UI/UX guidelines; accessible per WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
  • NFR-007: Support multilingual content creation if the organization requires it (e.g., via resource files).

4.4 Reliability and Availability

  • NFR-008: The solution shall achieve 99.9% uptime, leveraging SharePoint Online's SLA.
  • NFR-009: Error handling shall provide user-friendly messages; critical errors logged to Microsoft 365 admin center.

4.5 Scalability

  • NFR-010: The solution shall support up to [X] sites/users without performance degradation; designed for horizontal scaling via SPFx.

4.6 Compatibility

  • NFR-011: Compatible with modern browsers (Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari latest versions); responsive on mobile devices.
  • NFR-012: Built using SPFx v1.18+ or later, targeting SharePoint Online only.

5. Assumptions and Dependencies

  • Assumptions:
    • Users have valid Microsoft 365 licenses with SharePoint access.
    • Custom development will use approved tools (e.g., SPFx, Power Apps).
    • No custom hardware required; all cloud-based.
  • Dependencies:
    • Availability of SharePoint Online tenant with admin access for deployment.
    • Integration with Microsoft Graph API (requires app registration in Entra ID).
    • Third-party libraries (e.g., Fluent UI) approved for use.

6. Constraints and Risks

  • Constraints:
    • Budget: [e.g., Limited to 3 developers for 6 months].
    • Timeline: [e.g., MVP delivery in Q4 2025].
    • Technical: Must adhere to Microsoft's no-custom-server-side-code policy for SPFx.
  • Risks:
    • Risk-001: Permission misconfigurations leading to data exposure. Mitigation: Thorough testing with diverse user roles.
    • Risk-002: Changes in SharePoint Online features breaking the solution. Mitigation: Monitor Microsoft updates and use versioning.
    • Risk-003: User adoption challenges. Mitigation: Include training in project scope.

[Rate risks: High/Medium/Low; include probability and impact.]

7. Appendices

A. Glossary

[Define key terms not covered in Section 1.3.]

B. Use Case Diagrams

[Insert diagrams or descriptions, e.g., UML use cases for "Create News Post" actor.]

C. Data Flow Diagrams

[Describe or insert diagrams showing data flows between user, solution, and SharePoint services.]

D. Approval Signatures

[Space for final approvals.]

This template can be customized based on project specifics. Review and update iteratively during requirements gathering.

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