specifications

Specifications are detailed, explicit descriptions of the requirements and characteristics that a product, system, or service must meet. They translate needs and constraints into measurable criteria that guide design, development, testing, procurement, and compliance. Specifications can be functional, describing what a system should do, or non-functional, defining performance, reliability, usability, safety, and security.

There are several common types of specifications: functional specifications outline intended behavior and features; technical specifications describe architecture, interfaces, data formats, and implementation constraints; performance specifications set measurable targets such as speed, capacity, or throughput; interface specifications define interactions with other systems or components; and operational or maintenance specifications cover installation, configurations, and support requirements.

Specification work typically begins with requirements gathering from stakeholders and ends with verifiable criteria. The document, often part of a broader requirements management or system design process, should support traceability from needs to tests and deliverables. Verification and validation activities use the specifications as the basis for acceptance criteria.

In practice, specifications are documented as formal documents or living documents integrated with project management and engineering workflows. They may reference standards or regulatory requirements and commonly include scope, constraints, assumptions, acceptance criteria, and versioning.

Examples include software requirements specifications, hardware product specifications, and construction or engineering specifications. Well-written specifications help reduce ambiguity, manage scope, enable consistent testing, and improve interoperability among teams and suppliers.