Requirements Traceability Requirements traceability is the ability to map the customer need to the requirement; trace (identify and track) the instantiation of each requirement to all work products from requirements specification to design, to system component development, through testing and system documentation; and to map a parent requirement to a child and vice versa. Bi-directional traceability (from customer and user real needs/requirements to products and vice versa) of requirements is: a) critical to success of the project, and b) a complex and difficult task that requires considerable experience to perform well. This capability is absolutely critical for all systems. This capability is normally provided in the automated requirements tool. See “Guidelines for Requirements Traceability.” The best reference: James D. Palmer, "Traceability," reprinted in Project Requirements: A Guide to Best Practices, pp. 201-222. See also Effective Requirements Practices. pp. 208-210 that includes “Definition and Guidelines for Requirements Traceability.” Design Code Need Requirement Test