Workflow Requirements: Start with What Breaks
The first category to document is workflow pain. Write down the specific coordination problems your team faces: tasks that slip because ownership is unclear, handoffs that stall because nobody sees the next step, status updates that require a meeting because the information is not visible anywhere. Each of these problems points to a capability the tool must address.
Frame each requirement around the problem, not the feature. Instead of writing that you need a Gantt chart, write that you need timeline visibility for dependent tasks so deadlines do not cascade silently. This framing keeps the evaluation anchored to outcomes and prevents you from filtering out tools that solve the same problem through a different interface.
Rank the workflow requirements by impact. Which problem costs the most time or causes the most rework each month? That one goes at the top and becomes a disqualification criterion — any tool that does not address it is eliminated regardless of what else it offers.
Avoid inventing requirements you have never actually experienced. A team that has never needed resource leveling does not need to list it as a requirement just because it appears on a vendor comparison site. Requirements should come from observed pain points, not hypothetical future needs. Keep the document grounded in what your team has actually struggled with in the last six months.
Technical and Integration Requirements
List every system the PM tool needs to connect with: email, calendar, file storage, communication platforms, time-tracking tools, CRM, or accounting software. For each connection, note whether it is essential or nice-to-have. Essential integrations are the ones where manual data transfer between systems would create daily friction. Nice-to-have integrations save occasional effort but are not deal-breakers.
Mobile access, offline capability, and browser compatibility belong here too. If your team works from job sites or travels frequently, mobile functionality is a core requirement, not an afterthought. If your organization standardizes on a particular browser or operating system, confirm compatibility before shortlisting.
API access matters if you anticipate building custom workflows or connecting to in-house systems. Some vendors restrict API access to higher pricing tiers or impose rate limits that affect automated processes. Document what you expect to build so you can verify the API terms during vendor evaluation. Overlooking API restrictions at the evaluation stage leads to costly workarounds or tier upgrades after the contract is signed.
Security and Compliance Requirements
Data residency, encryption standards, access controls, and audit logging are not afterthoughts — they are requirements that can disqualify a tool regardless of its workflow capabilities. If your organization or industry mandates that data stays within a specific geographic region, confirm where the vendor hosts its infrastructure before proceeding.
Role-based access controls determine who can see, edit, or delete project data. For teams that handle client-confidential information, this is a firm requirement. Audit logging tracks who did what and when, which matters for compliance, for internal accountability, and for incident investigation if something goes wrong.
Single sign-on compatibility is both a security and a usability concern. If your organization uses an identity provider, the PM tool should integrate with it so users do not manage separate credentials. Check whether SSO is included in your target pricing tier or billed as an add-on, because that cost affects your total budget.
Capacity and Growth Requirements
Document your current team size and a realistic twelve-month projection. Include full-time staff, contractors, part-time collaborators, and any external stakeholders who will need access. The seat-cost planner on this site uses these numbers directly, and your vendor evaluation should model costs at both the current and projected levels.
Storage requirements matter more than most teams realize at the outset. Projects generate attachments — documents, images, design files, reports — and the volume grows with every completed project you want to keep accessible. Estimate your monthly storage growth based on current project output and check whether the plan you are evaluating accommodates it without overage fees.
Multi-team coordination is a capacity question that smaller organizations sometimes discover mid-contract. If you expect to add departments or teams to the tool within the first year, document the permission model and reporting structure those groups will need. A tool that works for one team but cannot segment work, permissions, or reporting for a second team creates a migration headache that is better avoided by including the requirement upfront.
Requirements differ by team size, industry, and project complexity — revisit and update the checklist before each major software evaluation cycle.