Requirements Reverse Engineering

When documentation falls behind reality, delivery slows down, regressions multiply, and leaders hesitate to fund the next wave of changes. Requirements reverse engineering restores clarity by translating the way your product works today into a verified Software Requirements Specification (SRS) that everyone trusts.

What Is Requirements Reverse Engineering?

Requirements reverse engineering (sometimes called SRS reconstruction) is the practice of discovering and documenting functional and non-functional requirements from an existing system. Instead of guessing, our consultants analyse the product, interview stakeholders, and trace integration points so you gain an authoritative, testable baseline.

An up-to-date SRS gives engineering, QA, product, and vendors a single source of truth for future releases, migrations, or tenders.

When Do You Need It?

Reverse engineering an SRS is especially valuable when:

• The original requirements were never written down or live in scattered spreadsheets and emails.
• The product evolved faster than documentation, creating gaps between reality and what teams believe the system does.
• You want to onboard a new vendor and need a clear scope before sending an RFP or fixed-price brief.
• Compliance, security, or funding approvals require evidence of how the system behaves today.
• You plan a re-platform, integration, or feature expansion but lack a stable baseline to manage change.

Our Reconstruction Approach

1. Kick-off and context download – align on business drivers, known pain points, and stakeholders who hold critical knowledge.
2. System discovery and shadowing – map user journeys, interfaces, data flows, and edge cases through guided walkthroughs or screen recordings.
3. Knowledge consolidation – capture business rules, exceptions, integration contracts, and operational constraints in a structured repository.
4. Draft SRS and traceability – produce a requirements hierarchy that links goals to functional specs, non-functional expectations, and acceptance scenarios.
5. Validation and sign-off – facilitate review workshops, capture amendments, and deliver a controlled change log for future updates.

Throughout the engagement we maintain open communication with your product owners, engineers, and subject-matter experts to close ambiguity before it reaches development.

Deliverables You Receive

• A tailored Software Requirements Specification covering scope, actors, workflows, data entities, integrations, and non-functional requirements.
• A traceability matrix connecting business objectives to detailed requirements and recommended test cases.
• Annotated screenshots or sequence diagrams illustrating complex workflows or technical interfaces.
• A prioritised backlog of gaps, risks, and improvement opportunities discovered during the analysis.
• A change management log so future updates to the SRS remain controlled and auditable.

Benefits for Your Organisation

• Fewer delivery surprises: Developers and vendors implement enhancements against verified requirements rather than assumptions.
• Faster onboarding: New team members or suppliers can understand the system without weeks of detective work.
• Reduced compliance risk: Auditors and regulators receive evidence that functional requirements, controls, and integrations are documented.
• Clearer budgeting: Leaders can prioritise initiatives based on the documented scope and effort instead of guesswork.

Support Your Next Move

Whether you are preparing a vendor tender, modernising a legacy platform, or simply need your business to trust the documentation again, reverse engineering the SRS keeps projects aligned and auditable.

Ready to regain control of your requirements? Explore the Requirements Reverse Engineering service or book a call with our team to discuss your use case.