Functional requirements

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Please note that ICA-AtoM is no longer actively supported by Artefactual Systems.
Visit https://www.accesstomemory.org for information about AtoM, the currently supported version.

Main Page > System Requirements > Functional requirements


Functional requirements state what the system must be able to do. The requirements provide:

  • Parameters for designing the system.
  • Criteria for testing the system (used in initial release and future iterations and upgrades).
  • Planning guidelines for developing the system (improve existing or add new functionality).
  • Documentation for standards compliance (link requirements to relevant international or national descriptive standards)
  • A framework for structuring user-end documentation (step-by-step procedures for how to do things in the system).


Functional requirements have been organized around the core functions of repositories holding archival material. ICA-AtoM currently focuses on two functions:


A number of functions remain outside the scope of the current version or are only partially supported. Inclusion of these functions serves primarily as a placeholder for requirements for future development of the system.

  • Acquisition (accession material, transfer / capture / ingest material, track donors, appraise for acquisition, appraise for monetary evaluation).
  • Physical control (store and retrieve archival material, manage storage space).
  • Preservation (implement strategies for long-term preservation of archival material).
  • Access administration (provide reference service, deliver access to archival material).
  • Outreach (exhibit objects, promote holdings, repositories, and the archival profession).


Each functional requirement includes the following information:

  • Requirement name.
  • Requirement specification (system must do X).
  • Requirement quotation (which section of which standard requires that the system do X?).
  • Associated metadata requirements (what fields must the system have to do X?).
  • Associated usability requirements (what features msut the system have to do X well from a user / interface point of view?).
  • ICA-AtoM implementation (how does ICA-AtoM implement X?).
  • Associated User Manual sections (links to step-by-step instructions for doing X).


Establish intellectual and administrative control over archival materials

Requirement number FR-1
Requirement name Establish intellectual and administrative control over archival materials
Requirement specification The system must:
  • Support the arrangement and description of archival materials in order to make them accessible.
Sub-requirements