Traceability can either be a necessary evil for your team, or you can embrace it and realize that its benefits are beyond just compliance. One of the major advantages of having a traceability matrix is to trace back the defects to test cases to requirements and vice versa. When developing software, there may be a need to change the requirements to meet everyone’s needs.

1. Requirements Traceability Matrix Ensures Better Visibility & Collaboration
Traceability can either be a necessary evil for your team, or you can embrace it and realize that its benefits
are beyond just compliance. One of the major advantages of having a traceability matrix is to trace back the
defects to test cases to requirements and vice versa. When developing software, there may be a need to
change the requirements to meet everyone’s needs. The team managing the requirements for a project
must be able to trace a requirement back to a need that is an essential component of the proposed project.
By examining each need, you can identify missed requirements early on in the design or implementation
process. Requirements traceability also allows you to spot extra requirements that are not really needed
and helps to control a project’s cost, the time involved in implementation and the quality of the final
outcome.
Requirements traceability - avoid implementing unnecessary requirements: Each phase in a software
development life cycle has its own importance with requirement analysis being a critical factor to the
success of a software project .In many organizations, building a traceability matrix can a cumbersome
process that typically includes manually updating a spread sheet sometime near the end of a development
cycle as the team wraps up loose ends and prepares for release. Requirements traceability helps avoid
implementing unnecessary requirements; aids in guaranteeing project completion; helps control costs; and
prevents project delays. On the whole, traceability works to avert a poor project outcome.
During the design phase, requirements traceability allows you to keep track of what happens when changes
are implemented before a system has been completely redesigned. Successful projects rely on team
communication and collaboration and with an up-to-date traceability matrix; any team member can quickly
gain insight into test coverage for specific design elements or look at risk artifacts in specific areas of the
product. There is proactive communication and collaboration that ensures that all changes are being
managed.
Requirement Traceability Relationship - improve team collaboration: Requirements Management has the
most comprehensive Requirement Traceability Relationship .An effective requirements traceability matrix
gives management greater visibility into the product development cycle. Whether management needs
information about risk mitigation, coverage, or testing results, the traceability matrix can provide a good
overview of project status if trace relationships are maintained throughout the development cycle.
Traceability provides an opportunity to improve team collaboration and agility while giving you the flexibility
to respond to change and out-innovate your competition.
Look for a solution that allows you to select a relation first. Based on the relation selected, you can select
customized filters for each of the entity associated with the relation that imposes a level of filtration of the
linked records. Throughout a project’s development process, a successful traceability solution will ensure
adequate resources of time, manpower and money available to code, test and verify all project
requirements.
Other Links - Application lifecycle management