Via the Export/Import item in the menu bar of ReqSuite® RM, users can initiate the data exchange with other tools. Besides an export and import of Word, Excel and ReqIF files, the project content can also be exported as a ZIP, or synchronized with other development tools such as JIRA, TFS/AzureDevOps, GitLab or further ReqSuite® RM installations (see Figure 1).

While the Excel, ReqIF and ZIP interfaces work by default, Word export requires prior definition of document templates and the exchange with other development tools a corresponding setup.

Word

Using the Word export function, the project content is exported to an MS Word® document based on document template(s) that can be customized during project configuration. If several templates are available, users can select which template is to be used for export.

With the help of the Word import functions, the contents from a given Word document can be imported into a ReqSuite® RM project as elements of a certain category. In doing so, the users can decide which category and attribute the document’s paragraphs or sentences should be assigned to and whether a better mapping should be applied automatically, if possible.

Important Note: Importing Word documents does not always work properly due to their informal structure. If quite unstructured Word documents are available, we recommend to use special import tools of our partners in addition to ReqSuite® RM, or even better, to perform the data exchange via Excel or ReqIF instead of Word.

Users with the “Project Manager” project role and the “Administrator” basic role can modify the document templates for the corresponding project. This includes uploading additional templates for the project or overwriting the project template’s document templates.

Excel

Using the Excel export function, the project content is exported to an Excel spreadsheet. For this purpose, ReqSuite® RM offers a complete and a reimportable export.

The complete export creates an Excel file in which the elements of each category are displayed on a separate tab within the table. Excel files based on a complete export can neither be customized nor re-imported. When using the complete Excel export, it must be ensured that in each category there is no attribute named “Comments”, “Attachments” or the name in plural of a linked category (like “Requirements”). Otherwise the column names in the export will collide and the export will fail.

The reimportable export creates a traceability matrix between two categories or exports the elements of the selected category.  Excel files based on an reimportable export can be re-imported using the Excel import function. Note that the export of richtext fields is not supported. When exporting to Excel, it will be formatted into a “TEXT” field and will also be imported this way.

Similar to Word templates users with the “Project Manager” project role and the “Administrator” basic role can modify the document templates for the corresponding project.

ReqIF

Using the ReqIF export function, the project content is exported to a zipped ReqIF file. For this purpose, ReqSuite® RM offers a standard and an advanced export.

The standard ReqIF export creates ReqIF files according to the elements supported by the official ReqIF standard. These files contain all categories and their elements including attribute values, relations, images in RICHTEXT boxes and other attachments. Since they follow the standard, they can be imported by third-party RM tools.

The extended ReqIF export, on the other hand, creates ReqIF files enriched with ReqSuite® RM-specific concepts that cannot be interpreted by other RM tools. The purpose of this export is to backup project contents or to support migrations between different ReqSuite® RM installations.

Regardless of the selected ReqIF export, both types can be re-imported without loss of information.

Important Note: Even if standard ReqIF files are imported / exported, ReqSuite® RM has to adapt the contents to the supported concepts. For example, in ReqSuite® RM file attachments are stored separately and not as an informal part of a description field as it is the case in some other RM tools. Therefore, the import will split such data explicitly.

ZIP

Using the ZIP export, ReqSuite® RM generates a ZIP file that includes

• all Word export according to all existing document templates
• a simple Excel export
• an advanced ReqIF export
• all attachments assigned to elements of the project

Interfaces

If a data exchange to other tools such as JIRA, TFS/AzureDevOps, GitLab, ClickUp or other ReqSuite® RM instances is set up, users can synchronize project data with these tools at the push of a button according to this configuration.