Traceability lets you create intersection and horizontal matrices directly inside Azure DevOps — visualize requirement coverage, identify gaps, manage work item relationships and generate audit-ready reports without leaving ADO.
Manual Excel traceability matrices go stale within days. Coverage gaps stay invisible until the auditor asks — and by then it is too late.
Every time a requirement changes or a test case is added in ADO the Excel matrix becomes incorrect. Teams spend days before audits manually rebuilding coverage maps that should have been live all along.
Without a live view of which requirements have no linked test cases teams discover traceability gaps during certification reviews. By then fixing them delays the entire program.
When a test case fails nobody can instantly see which user story, feature and epic it traces back to. Finding that chain manually across a large ADO project takes hours not seconds.
No external tools, no spreadsheet exports. Traceability builds live matrices directly from your Azure DevOps work items every time you run them.
Choose between an Intersection Matrix — which maps two work item types against each other — or a Horizontal Matrix which expands a top-level item with all its linked children. Source work items from area paths, iteration paths or saved ADO queries.
Click Run and your live matrix generates instantly from current ADO data. Switch between Table, Tree, Grid, List and Heatmap views to analyze coverage from different angles. Every cell links directly back to the ADO work item it represents.
Use Heatmap View to spot uncovered requirements at a glance. Add or remove relationships directly in the Grid View. Export the matrix to Excel or generate a formatted Smart Report as Word, PDF or HTML for regulatory submission.
Build a horizontal matrix tracing Epics through Features, User Stories and Test Cases with up to ten configurable linked item clauses. Each clause defines its own link type, work item type and field filters independently. Run against work item type paths or a saved query as the source.
Select any two work item types or saved queries as rows and columns. A checkmark at each cell confirms a link exists between those two items. Swap rows and columns in one click to get a different perspective on the same data without reconfiguring the matrix.
Filter work items using Area Path and Iteration Path with operators including Under, Not Under, In and Not In. Use a single saved query, a work item type path or a combination of both as the matrix source. The Under operator pulls in the entire nested hierarchy beneath any selected path.
Table View displays the matrix as a multi-column grid with work item types in colored column groups. Toggle Merge View to consolidate duplicate top-level rows, placing all linked children side by side in a single consolidated row. Toggle it off at any time to return to the expanded view.
Tree View displays matrix results as a collapsible parent-child hierarchy showing Assigned To and State for every item. Expand or collapse any level to focus on the part of the hierarchy that matters. Each work item ID links directly to the ADO work item for immediate editing.
Grid View shows a two-dimensional coverage map with checkmarks at linked intersections. List View shows each row item as a card with linked column items as chips, with an N/A badge for uncovered items. Heatmap View shows a color-coded coverage bar per row item for instant gap identification.
Click the Link Tree icon on any work item row to open a dialog showing its complete hierarchy; ancestors above, direct parent, current item and linked children below. Navigate to any item in the chain directly from the dialog without losing context of the matrix.
Every matrix runs live from ADO data. Every export is a point-in-time evidence record. Every gap is surfaced before the auditor finds it.
Traceability matrices are not snapshots that go stale. Every time you click Run the matrix rebuilds from live ADO work items and relationships. What you see is exactly what exists in your project at that moment.
The Analytics tab surfaces every work item with no downstream links, broken down by type — 72 Features without downstream, 4 Epics without downstream. Fix gaps before the certification review rather than discovering them during it.
Add a relationship between any two items in an Intersection Matrix by clicking an empty cell and selecting the link type. Remove existing links from the same grid. Every change writes back to ADO immediately — no separate action required.
Generate Excel exports and formatted Smart Reports in Word or PDF directly from the matrix. Use these as formal traceability evidence in DO-178C, IEC 62304, ISO 26262, FedRAMP and FDA submission packages.
Multi Query Mode lets you combine multiple saved ADO queries as the source for a single horizontal matrix. Build complex cross-area and cross-iteration traceability reports without restructuring your ADO project or manually aggregating data.
Test Reporting Mode uses a test plan and up to 25 test suites as the matrix source. Include Test Cases, Test Points, Test Runs and Test Results as configurable columns with pass/fail state visible at every level of the hierarchy.
From systems engineers building certification evidence to QA leads finding test gaps — every role has a specific reason to run a traceability matrix.
Create a Horizontal Matrix tracing System Requirements → Software Requirements → Test Cases using Work Item Type Mode. Run before every design review to confirm every system requirement has been allocated to software requirements and every software requirement has a linked test case.
Run an Intersection Matrix mapping User Stories against Test Cases to identify every requirement with no linked test. Use the Heatmap View to prioritize which stories need test coverage before the release gate. Export as Excel for the test completion report.
Run a Horizontal Matrix from Epics down through Features and User Stories to confirm every business requirement has been decomposed. Use the Analytics gap analysis to find Epics with no downstream Features and raise them with the product team before sprint planning.
Use a Horizontal Matrix in Query Mode sourced from the current sprint query to see which User Stories have linked Test Cases and which do not. Use List View to review coverage story by story and confirm the sprint backlog meets the Definition of Done before the sprint review.
Generate an Intersection Matrix mapping compliance control requirements against implementation work items. Export as a formatted Smart Report PDF to include in the audit evidence package. Use the Analytics tab to show auditors the percentage of controls with linked implementation records.
Create a Horizontal Matrix tracing Hazardous Events → Safety Goals → Functional Safety Requirements → Technical Safety Requirements for ISO 26262. Run the matrix before every ASIL classification review and export as a Word Smart Report for the Safety Case evidence package.
Use Test Reporting Mode with the project test plan and all test suites as the source. Generate a horizontal test trace report showing Test Cases, Test Points, Test Runs and Test Results in configurable columns. Export as an Excel file for the Software Test Summary Report.
Run a Horizontal Matrix from Epics through Features to User Stories to see overall project decomposition and completion status. Use Tree View with state information to identify blocked items. Export to Excel for weekly status reporting without manually pulling data from ADO.
Generate traceability matrices mapping design input requirements to design outputs and verification records for FDA 21 CFR Part 820 Design Controls. Export Smart Reports in Word or PDF as formal traceability evidence for 510(k) submissions and Technical File packages.
Create an Intersection Matrix mapping architectural requirements against user stories to verify every design decision traces back to a requirement. Use Link Tree View to inspect the full ancestry of any architectural work item and confirm no orphaned design requirements exist.
Run traceability matrices at each configuration baseline event — PDR, CDR, TRR — to produce the formal traceability evidence record for that milestone. Export as Excel and save to the ADO Document Management library as the official configuration baseline traceability record.
Use Multi Query Mode to combine queries from multiple ADO area paths into a single horizontal matrix covering the full program. Use Merge View to consolidate duplicate top-level items and see a clean program-level view of requirement coverage across all delivery teams.
From DO-178C in aerospace to FDA submissions in medtech — see how regulated teams use Traceability to produce certification evidence inside Azure DevOps.
Create a Horizontal Matrix tracing Software High-Level Requirements → Low-Level Requirements → Test Cases and Test Procedures. Run before the Software Test Review to confirm every HLR has linked LLRs and every LLR has a linked test procedure. Export as a DO-178C traceability evidence record in Word for the DER review package.
Generate an Intersection Matrix mapping Software Requirements against Verification Records to demonstrate design input to output traceability for the Design History File. Export the Smart Report as a PDF traceability table for inclusion in the 510(k) submission or Technical File for EU MDR.
Build a Horizontal Matrix tracing Safety Goals → Functional Safety Requirements → Technical Safety Requirements. Run before each ASIL classification review to confirm every safety goal has derived FSRs and every FSR has at least one linked TSR. Export as a Word Smart Report for the Safety Case evidence package.
Create a Horizontal Matrix tracing System Safety Requirements → Software Safety Requirements → Test Cases and Test Results for SIL 4 systems. Export the matrix as a formatted Word report for submission to the Independent Safety Assessor and National Safety Authority as EN 50128 lifecycle traceability evidence.
Build an Intersection Matrix mapping ITGC control requirements against implementation and change management work items. Use the Analytics tab to show auditors what percentage of controls have linked implementation evidence. Export as Excel for the external auditor ITGC testing workpapers at each SOX 404 assessment.
Generate a Horizontal Matrix tracing NIST SP 800-53 control families → individual controls → implementation work items. Use the Heatmap View to show the Authorizing Official which control families have full implementation coverage before the Annual Assessment. Export as a Word Smart Report for the Assessment and Authorization package.
Create a Horizontal Matrix tracing Hazards → Mishap Risk Reduction Requirements → Mitigation Measures for a MIL-STD-882E System Safety Program. Run before the System Design Review to confirm every identified hazard has linked safety requirements and every requirement has a defined mitigation measure.
Build a Horizontal Matrix tracing IEC 61508 Safety Functions → Safety Requirements Specification items → Verification Test Cases for SIL 2 and SIL 3 systems. Export the matrix as a formatted Word report for inclusion in the TÜV assessment documentation package at each IEC 61508 lifecycle phase gate.
Generate an Intersection Matrix mapping User Requirements Specification items against Functional Specification items and test protocol steps for computerized system validation. Export as a formatted Excel traceability matrix to include in the GAMP 5 validation package at IQ, OQ and PQ phase completion.
Create a Horizontal Matrix tracing HIPAA Administrative, Physical and Technical Safeguard requirements to their implementation work items and verification records. Use the Analytics gap analysis to identify safeguards with no linked implementation before go-live. Export as audit evidence for OCR or HITRUST assessment.
Build an Intersection Matrix mapping applicable 3GPP specification clauses against ADO test cases to generate the conformance requirements traceability record. Use the Heatmap View to identify standard requirements with no linked test before submitting to the certification lab. Export as Excel for the GCF or PTCRB submission.
Run a Horizontal Matrix from Epics through Features and User Stories to Test Cases before each major release. Use the Analytics dashboard to report overall test coverage percentage to leadership. Export as a Smart Report PDF for the release readiness review. Use the Heatmap View to identify which epics fall below the 80% coverage threshold.
Generate formatted Excel exports and Smart Reports directly from live ADO data. The traceability record your auditor needs is always one Run button away — not a multi-day manual assembly exercise.
The Analytics gap analysis and Heatmap View show exactly which requirements have no downstream links before you submit for certification. Find and fix gaps on your timeline not the auditor's.
Link Tree View gives any team member the full ancestry of a work item instantly — which user story, feature and epic it belongs to. No chasing the BA to explain where a ticket came from.
The Analytics dashboard shows overall coverage percentage, items with no downstream links and state distribution across the matrix. Leadership gets accurate numbers from ADO data, not from someone's Friday afternoon spreadsheet.
Traceability is part of MR NextGen — built natively inside Azure DevOps. Insert your existing work items, configure your matrix type, run it and see your full coverage picture in minutes. No migration. No separate tool. No manual maintenance.
Traceability connects directly with every other MR NextGen module — no separate configuration required inside Azure DevOps.
Create living requirements documents inside Azure DevOps by inserting work items from your ADO backlog. Every document stays current as your team works — no exports and no manual updates.
Explore Smart Docs →Freeze any requirement set at any milestone as an immutable snapshot. Compare baseline versions field by field and roll back to any approved state. Copy baselines to supplier ADO projects.
Explore Baseline →Structured multi-stakeholder approval workflows for any ADO work item set. Assign Reviewers and Approvers, enforce mandatory sign-off and generate Approval Audit Reports as Word or PDF.
Explore Review Management →Group work items into formal version packages by release or milestone. Compare package versions side by side and manage platform-specific variants in a single place inside ADO.
Explore VPM →The only AI requirements assistant built natively inside Azure DevOps. Elicit requirements from documents, generate user stories and analyze coverage without ever leaving your ADO project.
Explore Copilot4DevOps →One-click formatted output from any matrix, Smart Doc or ADO query in Word, PDF or HTML using your branded templates and stylesheets. Save directly to the ADO Document Management library.
Explore Smart Reports →
End-to-end requirements management in Azure DevOps.
AI-powered assistance for DevOps workflows.
Autonomous AI agents for DevOps execution.
Real-time data sync across tools and systems.
