A customer requirement refers to a specification or need that is expressed by a customer, rather than being generated internally by a business or organization. These requirements can relate to the functional or non-functional aspects of a product, service, or customer experience, and may be documented by the customer directly or collected and refined by a business analyst or market research team.

Customer requirements are important for businesses to understand, as they can provide insight into what customers expect and value, and help guide product and service development efforts. By gathering and analyzing customer requirements, businesses can better meet the needs and expectations of their target audience and improve their overall performance. The following are common types of customer requirement.

Voice of the Customer

Identifying customers that represent your target market and collecting needs, expectations and ideas with methods such as a focus group or ladder interview.

Lead User

Engaging lead users who represent your customers with cutting edge needs. For example, a snowboard manufacturer may engage professional snowboarders to capture ideas for a design.

Intermediaries

Collecting requirements from customers other than end-customers such as wholesalers, retailers, manufacturers or value-added resellers. For example, an OEM zipper manufacturer may collect requirements from a sportswear manufacturer for a new type of zipper.

Large Accounts

Products and services that are sold on a business-to-business basis may directly collect requirements from large accounts. For example, a software company that gets 40% of its revenue from five customers might allow those customers to directly submit requests for features.