Describe the user and the operation
Identify who uses the equipment, what enters it and what result should come out. Explain the current process and the problem that matters. A sketch, sample or short video can help establish context, but distinguish observed facts from assumptions about the future solution.
Separate requirements from preferred solutions
Record mandatory interfaces, operating conditions and constraints separately from optional features. Define how an important requirement could be checked. A preference for a motor, enclosure or layout may be useful input, yet it should not prevent a better approach unless the interface is genuinely fixed.
Identify decisions and responsibilities
Name the person who can confirm technical inputs and the team responsible for process, electronics or regulated use. Identify missing information and who will provide it. The first brief should make it possible to scope the next activity, rather than silently assigning every unknown to the engineering supplier.
Agree a reviewable first work package
A short initial requirements discussion can be free; detailed assessment and engineering are quoted. Begin with non-confidential material and agree an NDA before detailed sharing where needed. State the expected output, review point and exclusions, then use the requirements document to prepare a focused first conversation.
What to define for the project.
| Decision | What to define | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Function | User, input and intended result | Defines the problem |
| Constraints | Interfaces, environment and envelope | Limits the solution space |
| Evidence | How a requirement will be checked | Makes acceptance discussable |
| Owner | Decision and input responsibilities | Prevents unresolved assumptions |
| First package | Output and review point | Supports a specific quotation |
These notes support an initial engineering discussion. Material grades, manufacturing routes, dimensions and acceptance criteria are selected for the actual application and confirmed in the project specification.
Discuss the engineering scope
Choose the service that matches the next stage of your part, device or machine project.