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FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

BEFORE

Writing Activity

CREATE Activity

CONTENT ALERT

The Task Brief will explicitly mention that this is expected to be seen in the design documentation.

Imagine this is the scenario:

You are designing an application that will allow householders to manage their budget for utilities, and rental or mortgage costs.

A very useful starting strategy may be to think about:

In the site navigation, what will the user be able to click to get the web application to do the jobs they want to do?

I have identified the following functional requirements for an application designed to help householders manage their budget for utilities and rental/mortgage costs:

User Account Management

  • The application will allow users to create a new account with a unique username and password.
  • The application will allow users to log in to their existing account.
  • The application will allow users to retrieve or reset their password.
  • The application will allow users to update their account information (e.g., email address, personal details).
  • The application will allow users to delete their account.

Property Information Management

  • The application will allow users to input and store details about their property (e.g., address, type of property, number of bedrooms).
  • The application will allow users to link multiple properties to their account (e.g., if managing a rental property alongside their primary residence).

Rental/Mortgage Cost Management

  • The application will allow users to input their monthly rental or mortgage payment.
  • The application will allow users to set the due date for their rental/mortgage payment.
  • The application will allow users to track payments made towards their rental/mortgage.
  • The application will allow users to view a historical record of rental/mortgage payments.

Utility Bill Management

  • The application will allow users to input details for various utilities (e.g., electricity, gas, water, internet, council tax).
  • The application will allow users to record the monthly cost for each utility.
  • The application will allow users to set the due date for each utility bill.
  • The application will allow users to track payments made towards each utility.
  • The application will allow users to view a historical record of utility payments.
  • The application will allow users to input meter readings (for applicable utilities like electricity and gas).
  • The application will allow users to compare current utility usage and cost with previous periods.

Budgeting and Forecasting

  • The application will automatically calculate the total monthly recurring costs (rental/mortgage + utilities).
  • The application will allow users to set a budget for discretionary spending or savings.
  • The application will display a summary of budgeted vs. actual spending for utilities and housing costs.
  • The application will provide a forward-looking forecast of upcoming payments based on entered data.
  • The application will generate visual representations (e.g., charts, graphs) of spending trends over time.

Notifications and Reminders

  • The application will send notifications to users for upcoming bill due dates.
  • The application will send reminders for overdue payments.
  • The application will allow users to customize notification preferences (e.g., frequency, method - in-app, email).

Reporting and Analytics

  • The application will generate monthly and annual reports summarizing total expenditure on utilities and housing.
  • The application will provide insights into areas where spending could be reduced.
  • The application will allow users to export financial data (e.g., CSV, PDF).

Data Security and Privacy

  • The application will encrypt sensitive user data (e.g., financial information).
  • The application will adhere to relevant data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR).
  • The application will implement robust authentication and authorization mechanisms.