What are functional requirements?

Functional requirements are crucial in systems analysis and design as they articulate what a system should do in terms of specific behaviors, features, and functions. These requirements are often defined in the context of user necessities and can cover aspects such as data processing, user interactions, and other functionalities that the system must support to meet its intended purpose.

By focusing on the specific capabilities that the system must provide, functional requirements serve as a foundation for both design and development. They guide developers in creating software that fulfills user expectations and ensures that the system operates effectively within the defined scope.

The other options describe different aspects of system creation, such as performance guidelines, hardware specifications, and team evaluation criteria, which do not directly pertain to what the system is meant to accomplish. Consequently, they do not encapsulate the essence of functional requirements, making the first choice the most accurate representation of this crucial concept in systems analysis and design.