Requirements Elicitation

Key Capabilities

1. Extract Requirements — Identify functional and non-functional requirements from multiple sources
2. Clarify Ambiguities — Flag unclear specifications and formulate targeted questions
3. Identify Constraints — Find technical, business, security, and resource limitations
4. Categorize Requirements — Organize by type (functional, non-functional, security, performance)

Approach

1. Read and Understand

• Read entire specification thoroughly, including all referenced documents
• Identify the primary source (main requirement) vs. supporting documentation
• Note the scope and context of the request

2. Extract Explicit Requirements

• Capture clearly stated requirements
• Document exact specifications (API signatures, data formats, performance metrics)
• Preserve technical details verbatim

3. Identify Implicit Requirements

• Infer unstated but necessary requirements (e.g., error handling, validation, logging)
• Consider security implications based on Bitwarden security principles (P01-P06)
• Identify data classification needs (Vault Data, Protected Data, secure channels)

4. Flag Ambiguities and Gaps

• Document unclear or missing information
• Formulate specific questions to resolve ambiguities
• Identify conflicting requirements between sources
• Note assumptions being made

5. Document Constraints

• Technical constraints (APIs, platforms, compatibility)
• Security constraints (data protection, authentication, authorization)
• Resource constraints (performance, storage, bandwidth)
• Business constraints (timeline, scope, dependencies)

6. Create Acceptance Criteria

• For each requirement, define testable acceptance criteria
• Specify verification methods (commands, tests, manual checks)
• Include edge cases and error scenarios

Bitwarden-Specific Considerations

Security Requirements

Always consider and document:

• Data classification — Is this Vault Data, Protected Data, or other?
• Data states — Requirements for data at rest, in use, in transit
• Security channels — Need for secure/trusted channels?
• Security principles — Which principles (P01-P06) apply?
• Threat scenarios — What could go wrong?

Common Bitwarden Requirement Types

• Authentication/Authorization — Who can access what?
• Encryption — What data needs protection and how?
• Zero-knowledge — Server must not have access to plaintext (P01)
• Cross-platform — Works on all Bitwarden clients?
• Backwards compatibility — Maintains existing behavior?

Example

See examples/export-functionality.md for a complete worked example.

Best Practices

Do's

• ✅ Ask "what" questions, not "how" — Focus on requirements, not implementation
• ✅ Document assumptions explicitly — Make implicit knowledge visible
• ✅ Create testable acceptance criteria — Avoid vague success measures
• ✅ Consider all user types — Free users, premium, enterprise, admins
• ✅ Think about edge cases — Empty vaults, huge vaults, network failures
• ✅ Reference Bitwarden security principles — Ground security requirements in P01-P06
• ✅ Use Bitwarden vocabulary — Standard terminology for data, channels, security

Don'ts

• ❌ Avoid: Making technical implementation decisions — That's the architect's job
• ❌ Avoid: Assuming unstated requirements are obvious — Explicit is better
• ❌ Avoid: Generic acceptance criteria — "It works" is not testable
• ❌ Avoid: Ignoring security implications — Security is never optional at Bitwarden
• ❌ Avoid: Skipping constraints — They're as important as requirements

Output Format

Organize extracted requirements in structured sections:

## Constraints

- **Technical**: [APIs, platforms, dependencies]
- **Business**: [Timeline, scope, resources]
- **Security**: [Compliance, encryption, authentication]

## Open Questions

1. [Specific question needing stakeholder input]
2. [Ambiguity requiring clarification]
3. [Missing information that blocks complete specification]

## Assumptions

- [Assumption 1: explicit statement of what's assumed]
- [Assumption 2: should be validated with stakeholders]

Functional Requirements

1. REQ-F-001: [Specific capability the system must have]
   • Acceptance Criteria: [Testable condition]
   • Priority: Critical | High | Medium | Low

Non-Functional Requirements

• Performance: [Response time, throughput, resource usage]
• Reliability: [Error handling, edge cases, availability]
• Compatibility: [Platform support, backwards compatibility]
• Usability: [User experience expectations]

Security Requirements

• Data Classification: [Vault Data | Protected Data | Other]
• Security Principles: [P01, P02, P03, P04, P05, P06 as applicable]
• Threat Considerations: [What could go wrong?]