> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.walnutai.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.walnutai.ai/reports-and-analytics/requirement-traceability-matrix-rtm.md).

# Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM)

Managing a growing list of requirements across a product lifecycle is one of the biggest challenges in software development and QA. Without clear visibility, critical requirements get missed, test coverage has blind spots, and a single change can create unpredictable failures across the system.

Consider a banking application with a requirement like *"Users must receive an OTP for secure login."* That one requirement touches user stories, test cases for valid, expired, and incorrect OTP scenarios, and potentially multiple defects. When something breaks for instance say, the OTP isn't delivered — tracing the root cause without end-to-end requirements traceability is slow, manual, and error-prone.

The **Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM) in WalnutAI** solves this with a clear, visual mapping of how requirements flow across your entire product lifecycle from -

**Epics → Features → User Stories → Test Cases → Defects** 

It gives teams a single source of truth to answer the three questions that matter most at any point in a project:

* **Was everything asked for actually built?**
* **Was everything built actually tested?**
* **If something changes, what else is affected?**

```mermaid
graph TD
    E[Epic: Users must receive OTP for secure login]

    US1[User Story: Request OTP]
    US2[User Story: Validate OTP]

    TC1[Test Case: Valid OTP]
    TC2[Test Case: Expired OTP]
    TC3[Test Case: Incorrect OTP]

    D1[Defect: OTP Not Delivered]

    E --> US1
    E --> US2

    US1 --> TC1
    US2 --> TC2
    US2 --> TC3

    TC1 --> D1
```

**Why RTM Matters for Your Team?**

* **Ensures complete test coverage:**\
  Every requirement is mapped to one or more test cases, ensuring that all functionalities including edge cases are validated. This reduces the risk of untested features reaching production.
* **Simplifies impact analysis:**\
  When a requirement changes, RTM allows teams to instantly identify the affected test cases, user stories, and features, enabling quick and targeted updates without rechecking the entire system.
* **Improves accountability and quality:**\
  By clearly linking requirements to tests and outcomes, teams can ensure that every business need is properly implemented and validated, reducing missed functionality and improving overall product quality.
* **Supports audits and compliance:**\
  RTM provides structured traceability from requirements to testing and defects, making it easier to demonstrate validation during audits especially important in regulated industries.

**Workflow Example**

<figure><img src="/files/9D95ugmb2EIoiJBGaVTU" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**EPIC:** Dashboard\
 ⬇ **Feature:** Main Dashboard Display\
  ⬇ **User Story:** PROJ-0b6 – View dashboard with <mark style="background-color:blue;">penyeteman</mark> case list and filter options\
   ⬇ **Test Cases:**\
    • TC\_2685\_013 – Validate error message for empty date range\
    • TC\_2685\_015 – Validate error scenarios\
    • TC\_2685\_014 – Validate error variations\
    • TC\_2685\_006 – Validate error notifications\
    • TC\_2685\_005 – Validate invalid end date\
    • TC\_2685\_016 – Validate multiple invalid inputs\
    • TC\_2685\_007 – Validate redirect to login

**Summary Metrics:** At the top of the RTM screen, summary metrics provide a quick snapshot of project progress:

* EPICs: Total number of epics (e.g., 10)
* Features: Features linked to epics (e.g., 14)
* User Stories: Total user stories (e.g., 566)
* Test Cases: Test cases created (e.g., 55)
* Defects: Total defects identified (e.g., 4163)

**Visual Traceability Graph:** RTM presents relationships in a hierarchical structure for easy understanding:

* EPICs appear as top-level nodes
* Features branch from EPICs
* User Stories expand from Features
* Test Cases link to User Stories
* Defects connect to Test Cases

Each node is interactive clicking on EPICs, Features, User Stories, Test Cases, or Defects opens detailed views for deeper insights and actions.

**Key Features and Benefits**

* **End-to-End Traceability:** Track requirements seamlessly across the entire lifecycle
* **Dynamic Filtering:** Filter by release, status, or priority for focused insights
* **Hierarchical Visualization:** Clearly understand relationships and coverage
* **Interactive Drill-Down:** Navigate quickly to detailed views through clickable nodes