Requirements Traceability Matrix: What It Is and How to Build One

A requirements traceability matrix is a table linking each requirement to its goals, design, tasks, and tests, showing whether promised features are built and verified. It helps teams evaluate proposed changes, spot coverage gaps when features are cut, identify untested requirements, and justify why a feature exists. The article distinguishes forward, backward, and bidirectional traceability, with bidirectional being the most common approach for teams. It recommends a single table with stable requirement IDs and only the columns teams will actually maintain, and includes an invented example for a customer order portal. The matrix is presented as an index across requirements documents rather than a replacement for them.