A template for the clear and unambiguous definition of business data and information requirements. (cf. “Business Requirements Document”, “Functional Specification” or similar from standard SDLC processes). As such, the contents will typically form the basis for population and publication of a business glossary of information terms.

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Example Data Specifications &
Information Requirements Framework
BUSINESS INFORMATION
REQUIREMENTS TEMPLATE
Alan D. Duncan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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1 Purpose
This document template defines an outline structure for the clear and unambiguous definition of
business information and data requirements. (cf. “Business Requirements Document”, “Functional
Specification” or similar from standard SDLC processes).
As such, the contents of this document will typically form the outline understanding of any
informational inputs to the solution and the purpose(s) that the information is required to serve. It will
also form the basis population and publication of a business glossary of information terms.
This template forms part of example data definition & information requirements framework. The
framework offers a set of outline principles, standards and guidelines to describe and clarify the
semantic meaning of data terms in support of an Information Requirements Management process.
(See the Framework Overview for further details.)

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2 Business Information Requirements Template
 The template should be completed for each individual information or data element required by
the business end-user (to the extent that this information can be defined).
 During initial stages of requirements capture, not all details may be available and the end-
users needs may be ambiguous or unclear. As more information becomes available and as
requirements are subsequently clarified, the specification should be maintained and updated
to ensure that the definitions remain current and complete.
 This approach is recommended to ensure that business users have expressed their
information requirements in a form that is complete, shareable and robust.
Information
Requirement Item
Purpose
Item name
A clear, unambiguous and unique terminology for the required data item,
expressed in business language.
Item description &
business definition
A full elaboration of the semantic encoded meaning of the information
item and a definition of its expected usage in context(s), expressed in
business language.
Each definition shall reference all concepts necessary to unambiguously
define its meaning. Each reference shall be to a concept dictionary entry
contained in the business glossary or dictionary that supports an
exchange of free and explicit resolution of an informational concept.
Item type
A flag identifying the general nature of the data item.
e.g. Number, Character, Date/Time, Blob, Image, Sound, Video
Item syntax
The expected structure for communicating the data item and making it
portable between data sets and systems using the item.
Item requirement
Provenance
A reference (e.g. link or pointer) to the originating business document
that expresses the underlying requirement statement for the data item
(whether explicit or implied).
Core or Derived?
A flag identifying whether the data term is foundational (cannot be further
decomposed) or derived (exists by virtue of calculation).
 “CORE” = an atomic data item that is to be stored in its native form, and
not derived by calculation or rule.
 “DERIVED”= a data item which is calculated otherwise generated by the
combination, manipulation or inference from other data items.
Calculation
Specification
For “Derived” data items, any calculation expression or business rule.
Do any constraints exist with the respect to the calculation?
Reference Data/Master
Data Record Set.
What are the specific valid business values for this data element?
(NB this could be a link or pointer to the tables/columns within the
System of Record where the valid values are maintained)
Additional
assumptions
Any other assumptions, constraints or caveats known.

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About the author
Alan D. Duncan is an evangelist for information and analytics as
enablers of better business outcomes, and a member of the
Advisory Board for QFire Software.
An executive-level leader in the field of Information and Data
Management Strategy, Governance and Business Analytics, he
has over 20 years of international business experience, working
with blue-chip companies in a range of industry sectors. Alan
was named by Information-Management.com in their 2012 list of
“Top 12 Data Governance gurus you should be following on
Twitter”.
Twitter: @Alan_D_Duncan
Blog: http://informationaction.blogspot.com.au/

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