What is RTM in Manual Testing?

A Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) is a document of utmost importance in manual testing that maps and traces user requirements to test cases. This ensures that all proposed client requirements are both captured and verified through relevant test scenarios and cases. One purpose of RTM is to ensure that no functionality is missed during software testing so that the software will achieve the expected targets. Usually created after the end of the software development life cycle, RTM is a collective documentation of requirement verification during the project period.

It ensures complete coverage of customer needs on final delivery; it assists in tracing the root cause of any bugs logged during the testing process and gives a clear overview of the testing progress roadmap, hence allowing for a properly informed decision-making process by stakeholders with respect to assessing the risk level of moving the software to production.

RTM enhances the level of transparency and accountability among stakeholders and team members in manual testing. It offers a formalized structure to cover requirement-bases and show test execution status while helping teams and roles close out testing gaps in order to achieve the most critical requirements. Much of the usefulness of RTM comes to shine in regulated industries, where it serves as an auditable record of requirement coverage supporting compliance with regulatory standards. In all, it helps serve the end goal of RTM by assuring reliability and expectations are met concerning the quality of the software products.