Functional vs.

Non Functional
Requirements
Last Updated : 22 Oct, 2024
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Requirements analysis is an essential process that enables

the success of a system or software project to be assessed.
Requirements are generally split into two types: Functional
and Non-functional requirements. functional requirements
define the specific behavior or functions of a system—what
the system should do to meet user needs. These include
features like data processing, authentication, and user
interactions. In contrast, non-functional requirements specify
how the system performs its tasks, focusing on attributes
like performance, security, scalability, and usability.

Functional vs. Non Functional Requirements

Table of Content
 What are Functional Requirements?
 What are Non-Functional Requirements?
 Extended Requirements
 Differences between Functional Requirements and Non-
Functional Requirements:
 Importance of Balancing Both Functional and Non-
Functional Requirements
 Common Challenges in Defining these Requirements
What are Functional Requirements?
These are the requirements that the end user specifically
demands as basic facilities that the system should offer. All
these functionalities need to be necessarily incorporated into
the system as a part of the contract.
These are represented or stated in the form of input to be
given to the system, the operation performed and the output
expected. They are the requirements stated by the user
which one can see directly in the final product, unlike the
non-functional requirements.
Examples:
 What are the features that we need to design for this
system?
 What are the edge cases we need to consider, if any, in
our design?

What are Non-Functional Requirements?

These are the quality constraints that the system must
satisfy according to the project contract. The priority or
extent to which these factors are implemented varies from
one project to another. They are also called non-behavioral
requirements. They deal with issues like:
 Portability
 Security
 Maintainability
 Reliability
 Scalability
 Performance
 Reusability
 Flexibility
Examples:
 Each request should be processed with the minimum
latency?
 System should be highly valuable.

What are Extended Requirements?

These are basically “nice to have” requirements that might
be out of the scope of the System.
Example:
 Our system should record metrices and analytics.
 Service heath and performance monitoring.

Differences between Functional

Requirements and Non-Functional
Requirements:
Below are the differences between Functional Requirements
and Non-Functional Requirements:

Aspect Functional Non-Functional

Requirements Requirements

Definition Describes what the system Describes how the system

should do, i.e., specific should perform, i.e., system
functionality or tasks. attributes or quality.

Purpose Focuses on the performance,

Focuses on the behavior and
usability, and other quality
features of the system.
attributes.

Scope Defines constraints or

Defines the actions and
conditions under which the
operations of the system.
system must operate.

Examples User authentication, data Scalability, security,

input/output, transaction response time, reliability,
processing. maintainability.

Measurement More difficult to measure,

Easy to measure in terms of
often assessed using
outputs or results.
benchmarks or SLAs.

Impact on Affects the architecture and

Drives the core design and
Development overall performance of the
functionality of the system.
system.

Focus on User Directly related to user and Focuses on user experience

Needs business requirements. and system performance.
 Aspect Functional Non-Functional
Requirements Requirements

Documentation Typically documented in Documented through

use cases, functional performance criteria,
specifications, etc. technical specifications, etc.

Evaluation Can be tested through Evaluated through

functional testing (e.g., unit performance testing, security
or integration tests). testing, and usability testing.

Dependency Depends on how well the

Determines what the system
system performs the required
must do to meet user needs.
tasks.

Importance of Balancing Both

Functional and Non-Functional
Requirements
Balancing both functional and non-functional requirements is
crucial in system design because they address different yet
equally important aspects of the system. Here’s why
balancing them is essential:
 Improves User Experience: Focusing only on functional
requirements may result in a system that works but is
slow, unresponsive, or difficult to use. Non-functional
requirements like usability, performance, and availability
significantly impact how users interact with the system
and their satisfaction.
 Enhances System Performance: Non-functional
aspects like scalability, reliability, and security ensure the
system performs well under real-world conditions. A
system that meets functional needs but fails to scale or
handle a large number of users can result in failure.
Balancing these ensures that the system not only works
but works efficiently.
 Prevents Bottlenecks and Failures: Systems with
strong functional performance but poor security or
reliability are prone to outages, breaches, or failures. By
 considering non-functional requirements, the system
becomes more resilient and less prone to bottlenecks.
 Reduces Long-Term Costs: Systems designed with only
functional requirements in mind often encounter
scalability and maintainability issues as they grow.
Addressing non-functional requirements early on prevents
costly changes, re-architecting, or performance
enhancements later.
 Supports System Evolution: Non-functional
requirements such as maintainability and extensibility
make future updates, feature additions, and system
scaling easier and less disruptive. This balance ensures
that the system can evolve and adapt over time without
significant hurdles.

Common Challenges in Defining these

Requirements
Defining both functional and non-functional requirements in
system design can be challenging due to several factors.
Here are some common challenges:
 Ambiguity in Requirements:
o Challenge: Requirements are often unclear, making
it difficult to interpret what the system should do
(functional) and how it should perform (non-
functional).
o Impact: This can lead to misunderstandings
between stakeholders and developers, resulting in
incomplete or incorrect system implementation.
 Changing Requirements:
o Challenge: As projects evolve, functional and non-
functional requirements often change due to shifting
business goals, market trends, or user needs.
o Impact: Frequent changes disrupt the development
process, increase costs, and lead to scope creep.
 Difficulty in Prioritization:
o Challenge: Deciding which functional and non-
functional requirements are most important is often
difficult. Functional needs can overshadow non-
functional ones, such as security or scalability.
o Impact: Without proper prioritization, critical non-
functional aspects might be overlooked, leading to
system failures or performance bottlenecks later.
 Measuring Non-Functional Requirements:
 oChallenge: Functional requirements are often
straightforward to test, but non-functional
requirements like usability, scalability, and reliability
are harder to measure and validate.
o Impact: Developers may struggle to validate if the
system meets expectations for performance,
security, or scalability.
 Overlapping or Conflicting Requirements:
o Challenge: Sometimes, functional and non-
functional requirements can overlap or conflict. For
example, adding complex security features (non-
functional) might slow down the performance
(another non-functional requirement).
o Impact: This can create trade-offs and force difficult
decisions, affecting the overall system design.