Business requirement vs stakeholder requirement
One says what the organisation needs; the other says what a specific group of people needs to get there.
In short
A business requirement is a capability the organisation needs to reach an objective. A stakeholder requirement is what one group — patients, receptionists, managers — needs, in their terms.
Side by side
| Business requirement | Stakeholder requirement | |
|---|---|---|
| Voice | The organisation | A named group of people |
| Typical form | "The clinic can …" | "As a patient, I want … so that …" |
| Refines | An objective | A business requirement |
| How many | A few per objective | Several per business requirement, one per group |
How to tell them apart
- If it names a group of people and what they want, it is a stakeholder requirement.
- If it describes what the organisation must be able to do, without saying for whom, it is a business requirement.
- One business requirement often splits into different stakeholder requirements that may conflict.
Example: Clinic Booking
Business: "Patients can book outside the clinics' opening hours."
Stakeholder: "As a patient, I can move my own appointment online" and "As a receptionist, I see every change made outside opening hours when I start my shift."
Why the difference matters to an agent
An agent building for a stakeholder requirement knows who it is building for and what they are trying to do, which changes the design. The business requirement above it tells the agent what must stay true for all groups at once.