Non-Functional Requirements
Non-Functional Requirements:
Non-functional requirements (NFRs) specify the qualities and characteristics of a
system rather than the specific behaviors. While functional requirements define
what a system should do, non-functional requirements describe how the system
should perform those tasks. They focus on attributes that affect the user
experience, performance, reliability, and maintainability, often defining
constraints on system operations.
1. What Are Non-Functional Requirements?
Non-functional requirements set the standards or benchmarks for system quality
and usability. They ensure the system not only functions as expected but also
performs efficiently and reliably in real-world conditions. Unlike functional
requirements, they are often not directly related to specific features but are
instead broader qualities affecting the entire system.
Key categories of non-functional requirements include:
Performance: System speed, response time, and resource usage.
Scalability: System’s ability to handle increased load, users, or data.
Reliability: System’s stability, including uptime and fault tolerance.
Usability: How intuitive and accessible the system is for end-users.
Security: Data protection, authentication, and access control.
Maintainability: Ease of updating, debugging, and extending the system.
Compliance: Adherence to legal, regulatory, or industry standards.
2. Importance of Non-Functional Requirements
Non-functional requirements are crucial for ensuring that the software is robust,
reliable, and meets quality standards beyond functionality. They:
Improve User Experience: Define usability and accessibility standards,
helping create a product that is intuitive and pleasant to use.
Ensure System Reliability: Guarantee that the system operates consistently
without frequent crashes or downtime.
Enhance Security: Establish essential security practices to protect against
data breaches and unauthorized access.
Support System Scalability: Set benchmarks for handling growing user
loads or data volumes without performance issues.
Aid in Performance Optimization: Ensure that the system meets speed and
efficiency requirements, important for high-performance applications.
Maintain Legal and Ethical Compliance: Ensure adherence to standards
that protect user data and privacy, avoiding legal consequences.
3. Examples of Non-Functional Requirements
Below are some examples of common non-functional requirements and their
impact on system quality:
Performance: The application should handle 5000 transactions per minute
and respond to user queries in under 2 seconds.
Scalability: The software should be able to add new servers to
accommodate up to 100,000 simultaneous users.
Reliability: The system should guarantee 99.95% uptime, allowing for
minimal downtime each month.
Usability: The interface should be accessible according to WCAG 2.1
standards, with navigable keyboard controls.
Security: The application should use multi-factor authentication and
encrypt all user data at rest and in transit.
Maintainability: System updates should require less than 3 hours of
downtime, and code changes should have minimal impact on unrelated
modules.
Compliance: The system must comply with HIPAA standards for data
privacy in the healthcare sector.
