Technical

What Is the Purpose of the Product Requirement Document (PRD)?

The PRD is a detailed blueprint guiding product development by outlining every necessary feature, pivotal for successful creation.

by Team Ajackus

Apr 05, 2022 · 2 mins read

A product requirement document is one of the most crucial documents you’d need while intending to get a product ready. Entering into business with a software company for the creation of a software product for your company or organization without a product requirement document might be disastrous. This is because the purpose of the document is to do exactly what the name demonstrates. To give the developer a complete idea and guide of what you want in the software. In relation to the needs, your organization should elaborately explain every feature. Giving out a software development task to a tech company without PRD is like cooking without any recipe.

The purpose and value of PRD are clear. Without it, product development may seem directionless and very well end up disappointing you on the delivery of the final product. If not, you might still have to prescribe several changes at various stages of the software development cycle. To avoid such inconveniences, you’ll have to deploy the task of preparing a detailed product requirement document or software requirement document to your product manager.

Featured of Product Requirement Document

A close-up image of a Product Requirement Document cover with title and logo, showcasing key features and specifications.
Image Source: https://kodytechnolab.com/

Purpose of the Product Required

Who it is for and Why are you building it? It becomes easy for the developers to mitigate contingent dilemmas as they arise when the needs and context of the product an explained beforehand.

Features Needed in the Product

What are you going to build? The developer needs to explain clearly and in detail, each feature incorporated in the PRD. Clarity of the requirements is the key to successful software development and client satisfaction.

Use Case

The developer needs to elaborate on certain hidden or small features that might be used in the product in order to receive a detailed product. You should list out what is expected by users, any limitations to be aware of, and any additional elements to be required for smooth functionality in advance.

UX Flow and Design Notes

A diverse team collaborating on a laptop and paper with sticky notes, focusing on UX Flow and Design Notes.
Image Source: https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/

As opposed to post-product designing, the developer needs to initially present the UX flow in the PRD. This helps tremendously in achieving the objective the client is looking for.

Release Criteria for the Product

To avoid last-minute issues, the developer should fulfill a list of criteria before handing over the software to the client. The release criteria should be specified well enough to deliver a well-polished end product ready to use along with installation.

Including these terms in the PRD creation and review process gets everyone on the same page and generates the desired outcome on release.

The advantage of PRD is that it presents the full picture in front of the software team developing it. It leaves the scope to change, add or remove certain features if required before the development starts, and also helps estimate the cost of production. After a complete understanding of the client’s requirements, the developer should discuss the scope of creativity.

Thus, it is of the utmost essence for every product manager to design the right product requirement document before hiring a software development company for the job.

More on this subject here. To know what to look for while choosing an outsourcing partner, click here. To know more about the services we offer, go to the Ajackus Services page.

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