Running a structured peer review

A peer review transforms specification writing from an isolated task into a collaborative quality check. The process brings together team members from product, design, and engineering to assess whether each requirement is clear, testable, and aligned with overall goals. A structured checklist helps reviewers evaluate aspects such as completeness, accuracy, and traceability. Each participant looks for inconsistencies, redundant details, and unclear dependencies that might cause problems during implementation.

Walkthrough sessions are particularly effective because they allow participants to question assumptions and clarify the reasoning behind design or technical decisions. These sessions are not meant to criticize but to verify that every feature described can be understood and executed by those who will build or test it. By combining different perspectives, teams strengthen the specification’s quality and prevent issues that often surface only during development.