Adding requirements

To document and track project requirements, add them to Helix ALM. You can enter details about a requirement when you add it or as you learn more about it. Team members in a variety of roles, such as stakeholders, subject matter experts, developers, and testers, will use the requirement. Make sure each requirement clearly communicates a specific need.

The following information explains how to add an individual requirement. You can also add requirements when working in a requirement document. See Adding new requirements to documents.

1. Click Add on the Requirements list.

You can also add a requirement from any page in Helix ALM, except when working in the Administration area. Click Add Item at the top of the page and choose Add Requirement.

The Add Requirement dialog box opens.

2. Select a requirement type. You can also search for a requirement type.

Helix ALM includes default requirement types, but your team may use others. See Default requirement types. You may be able to add or modify requirement types depending on your security permissions. Click Configure Requirement Types.

3. Click Add.

The Adding Requirement page opens.

4. Enter a Summary to briefly describe the requirement. You can enter up to 255 characters.

5. In the left pane, enter or select General and Custom Fields values. The available fields and grouping depends on how Helix ALM is configured for your team. To learn more, see Configuring field layouts.

  • To scroll to a field group, click Scroll to fields and select a field group.
  • To expand a field group, click . To collapse a group, click . To expand all groups, click . To collapse all groups, click .
  • If information is available about a field group, mouse over to display a tooltip.

6. On the Detail tab, enter a Description to provide specific information about the requirement.

7. Click the Files tab to attach files to the requirement. See Attaching files.

8. Click the Folders tab to add the requirement to a folder. See Adding items to folders.

You will use the Workflow, Versions, Documents, Traceability, Baselines, and History tabs when viewing or editing requirements. See Viewing requirements and Editing requirements.

9. Perform any additional actions.

  • To move the requirement through the workflow, click a workflow event button. For example, click Assign to assign it to another team member. Click More to see additional events. See Adding workflow events to items.
  • To perform various actions on the requirement, click Actions and choose an action.
  • To run a report that includes information about the requirement, click the Reports button and choose a report. See Running reports.
  • To send email about the requirement, click the Email button and choose an option. See Emailing from Helix ALM.

10. Save the requirement.

  • Click Save to add the requirement to the project and return to the Requirements list.
  • Click Apply to save the requirement and continue working on it. Save the requirement when you finish.
  • Click Save and Add Another to add the requirement to the project and then add another requirement.
  • Click Cancel to discard any changes.

The available options depend on the Add Multiple Requirements user option set in the Helix ALM Client. See the Helix ALM Client help for information about setting add multiple items options.

After you add a requirement, you can add it to a document at any time. See Adding existing requirements to documents.