BMAD-METHOD/src/bmm/workflows/2-plan-workflows/create-strs/steps/step-07-project-constraints.md

name	description	nextStepFile	outputFile	advancedElicitationTask	partyModeWorkflow
step-07-project-constraints	Define project constraints including budget, timeline, and environmental constraints	./step-08-review-complete.md	{planning_artifacts}/strs-{{project_name}}.md	{project-root}/_bmad/core/workflows/advanced-elicitation/workflow.xml	{project-root}/_bmad/core/workflows/party-mode/workflow.md

Step 7: Project Constraints

Progress: Step 7 of 8 - Next: Final Review & Completion

MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES (READ FIRST):

• 🛑 NEVER generate content without user input
• 📖 CRITICAL: ALWAYS read the complete step file before taking any action
• 🔄 CRITICAL: When loading next step with 'C', ensure the entire file is read
• ✅ ALWAYS treat this as collaborative discovery between expert peers
• 📋 YOU ARE A FACILITATOR, not a content generator
• 💬 FOCUS on constraints that limit what and how the system can be built
• ✅ YOU MUST ALWAYS SPEAK OUTPUT In your Agent communication style with the config {communication_language}

EXECUTION PROTOCOLS:

• 🎯 Show your analysis before taking any action
• ⚠️ Present A/P/C menu after generating constraints content
• 💾 ONLY save when user chooses C (Continue)
• 📖 Update output file frontmatter, adding this step name to the end of the list of stepsCompleted
• 🚫 FORBIDDEN to load next step until C is selected

CONTEXT BOUNDARIES:

• All previous steps inform constraint identification
• Focus on project-level constraints that affect feasibility and scope
• ISO 29148 Clause 7 Section 7: Project Constraints

PROJECT CONSTRAINTS SEQUENCE:

1. Explain Constraints Purpose

Purpose: Project constraints define the boundaries within which the system must be built and operated. They are non-negotiable limitations from budget, time, technology, environment, regulations, or organizational factors. Understanding constraints early prevents unrealistic requirements.

Constraint Categories:

• Budget and Cost Constraints
• Schedule and Timeline Constraints
• Technology and Platform Constraints
• Environmental and Infrastructure Constraints
• Regulatory and Compliance Constraints
• Organizational and Resource Constraints

2. Budget and Cost Constraints

Key Questions:

• "What is the budget range for this project?"
• "Are there ongoing operational cost limits?"
• "What are the licensing or subscription constraints?"
• "Is there a target cost per user or transaction?"
• "What happens if the budget is exceeded?"

3. Schedule and Timeline Constraints

Key Questions:

• "What is the target launch date? Is it fixed or flexible?"
• "Are there regulatory deadlines or market windows?"
• "What are the key milestones?"
• "Are there dependencies on external timelines (partner launches, API availability)?"
• "What is the minimum viable timeline?"

4. Technology and Platform Constraints

Key Questions:

• "Are there mandated technology choices (programming languages, frameworks, cloud providers)?"
• "Are there existing systems that must be maintained or integrated with?"
• "Are there platform requirements (iOS, Android, web, desktop)?"
• "Are there third-party service dependencies?"
• "Are there open source vs. commercial software policies?"

5. Environmental and Infrastructure Constraints

Key Questions:

• "What hosting or deployment environments are available?"
• "Are there geographic restrictions (data residency, CDN locations)?"
• "What are the network constraints (bandwidth, latency, offline requirements)?"
• "Are there hardware constraints for end users?"
• "What are the development and testing environment constraints?"

6. Regulatory and Compliance Constraints

Key Questions:

• "What regulations apply (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC2, etc.)?"
• "Are there industry-specific standards to comply with?"
• "What certifications are required?"
• "Are there accessibility requirements (WCAG, Section 508)?"
• "What audit or reporting requirements exist?"

7. Organizational and Resource Constraints

Key Questions:

• "What team size and skill sets are available?"
• "Are there organizational process requirements (Agile, waterfall, approvals)?"
• "What are the decision-making constraints?"
• "Are there vendor or contractor limitations?"
• "What knowledge transfer or documentation requirements exist?"

8. Generate Constraints Content

Prepare the content to append to the document:

Content Structure:

## 7. Project Constraints

### 7.1 Budget and Cost Constraints

| Constraint ID | Constraint | Impact | Flexibility |
|--------------|-----------|--------|-------------|
| BC-001 | [Budget constraint] | [How it affects the project] | [Fixed / Negotiable] |

### 7.2 Schedule and Timeline Constraints

| Constraint ID | Constraint | Deadline | Flexibility |
|--------------|-----------|----------|-------------|
| TC-001 | [Timeline constraint] | [Date or timeframe] | [Fixed / Negotiable] |

### 7.3 Technology and Platform Constraints

| Constraint ID | Constraint | Rationale | Impact |
|--------------|-----------|-----------|--------|
| PC-001 | [Platform/technology constraint] | [Why this constraint exists] | [How it affects design] |

### 7.4 Environmental Constraints

[Hosting, geographic, network, hardware, and development environment constraints]

### 7.5 Regulatory and Compliance Constraints

| Constraint ID | Regulation/Standard | Requirement | Impact |
|--------------|-------------------|-------------|--------|
| RC-001 | [Regulation name] | [What it requires] | [How it affects the system] |

### 7.6 Organizational Constraints

[Team, process, vendor, and knowledge constraints]

## 8. Appendices

### 8.1 Assumptions

[List all assumptions made during StRS creation - these are statements believed to be true but not yet verified]

### 8.2 Dependencies

[List all external dependencies that could affect the project]

### 8.3 Abbreviations and Acronyms

[Complete list of all abbreviations and acronyms used in this document]

9. Present MENU OPTIONS

Present the project constraints for review, then display menu:

• Show all constraint categories
• Highlight any constraints that may conflict with requirements from previous steps
• Ask if any constraints are missing

Display: "Select: [A] Advanced Elicitation [P] Party Mode [C] Continue to Final Review (Step 8 of 8)"

Menu Handling Logic:

• IF A: Read fully and follow: {advancedElicitationTask}, process enhanced insights, ask user acceptance, update or keep, redisplay
• IF P: Read fully and follow: {partyModeWorkflow}, process collaborative validation, ask user acceptance, update or keep, redisplay
• IF C: Append the final content to {outputFile}, update frontmatter by adding this step name to the end of the stepsCompleted array, then read fully and follow: {nextStepFile}
• IF Any other: help user respond, then redisplay menu

APPEND TO DOCUMENT:

When user selects 'C', append the content directly to the document using the structure from step 8.

SUCCESS METRICS:

✅ All constraint categories explored ✅ Each constraint has ID, description, impact, and flexibility level ✅ Regulatory and compliance constraints explicitly identified ✅ Assumptions clearly separated from verified facts ✅ Dependencies documented ✅ Abbreviations and acronyms collected ✅ ISO 29148 Clause 7 Section 7 requirements addressed

FAILURE MODES:

❌ Missing regulatory or compliance constraints ❌ Not documenting assumptions separately from facts ❌ Leaving constraint impact analysis blank ❌ Not identifying constraint conflicts with requirements ❌ Missing technology platform constraints

NEXT STEP:

After user selects 'C' and content is saved, load {nextStepFile} for final review and completion.