Need vs Requirement: Difference and Comparison

We, as human beings, have lots and lots of needs and requirements. When one of our needs is achieved, another need comes into play.

In Maslow’s need hierarchy theory, it is rightly said that human needs and requirements are infinite and never-ending. Once one of our goals is achieved, another goal comes into play.

Need and requirements are two constant variables of human life.

Key Takeaways

1. A need is essential or fundamental for survival, well-being, or completing a task. At the same time, a requirement is a specific condition, standard, or rule that must be met or fulfilled.
2. Needs relate to basic human necessities, such as food, shelter, and social interaction. In contrast, requirements are more context-dependent and may apply to various situations, such as job qualifications or legal criteria.
3. Both needs and requirements involve a degree of obligation or necessity, but they differ in scope, with needs being more general and requirements more specific.

Need vs Requirement

A need motivates a person to attain something. Different humans have different needs. Needs can change. The process followed to achieve a goal is not included in a market. Conditions can be of five types. The process followed, or the steps taken to accomplish a need, are requirements. A detailed procedure is a requirement. 

The need is a thing that motivates people to engage in certain activities. It is a necessity in human life that stimulates people to progress to achieve something.

It is essential for an individual to derive satisfaction with their current life and to remain in good physical and mental condition. The need is a continuous and recurring process, which is never-ending.

A requirement is a process, substance,, or steps to achieve or fulfil a need. It is more detailed and specific.

It is based upon the fact that need is recurring and continuous, which is why requirements are never-ending. Conditions are highly dependent on the type of need and change whenever there is a change in human necessities.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Need	Requirement
Definition	A requirement is a process that lays down the steps to conquer a condition.	People’s thinking can vastly influence a need, and ways of determining things can vastly influence a need.
Dependency	The need is an independent variable that changes at any time with the change of the human mind.	The need is vast in size and is inclusive of requirements.
Scope	The need is a broad concept that is not comprehensive and does not determine how to achieve a goal.	The requirements are limited in scope.
Comprehensive	The requirement is a detailed process that lays down what a human being needs to do to achieve a goal.	The requirement depends on the need and changes as soon as the market is changed.
Influence	The requirement depends on the need and changes as soon as the market changes.	The requirements are influenced by need.

What is Need?

The need is a motivator for people to participate in specific activities. It is a requirement in human life that people go forward to achieve something.

It is critical for an individual to be happy in their current situation and to have good physical and mental health. The need is a never-ending process since it is a constant and repeating process.

Maslow has described human needs in a need hierarchy model that includes five types of conditions that are

1. Physiological Needs: Physiological needs are the needs that are required for the basic safety of human beings.
2. Safety needs: when the abovementioned need is achieved, this need comes, which implies protecting physiological conditions.
3. Social Needs: This need includes the desire to get love, acceptance, and a sense of validation from others.
4. Esteem needs are dual, i.e., for oneself and others.
5. This need is to prove who a person is and flex their abilities.
6. Self-actualisation: This type of need is the need to achieve or fulfil one person’s dreams.

In business, needs are the substances or requirements to bridge the gap between the current state and the desired future.

What is the Requirement?

A requirement is a method, substance, or set of steps that must be followed to achieve or fulfil a need. It is more particular and detailed.

It is on the concept that needs are never-ending because they are ongoing and continual. Requirements vary greatly depending on the kind of need, and they alter anytime human needs change.

Requirements are detailed processes, i.e., writing down the steps and what action will come after what action to arrive at a satisfying result.

It is important to remember that an adequate requirement should have the following nature:

1. Confirmable-A requirement must be confirmable so that one can decide if it is the correct step to fulfil the need.
2. Realistic-A requirement should be realistic.
3. If they are unattainable or impractical, they will only lead to disappointment and failure to meet the need.
4. Complete: Requirements should be complete since they determine all the steps required to fulfil a need. If they are incomplete or left in between, one may not be able to complete their needs fully.

Main Differences Between Need and Requirement

1. A need is a goal or objective that a human wants to fulfil in life, while requirements are the steps and processes needed to complete a need.
2. Needs are more human-centric and change with changes in human tendencies, while requirements are need-centric and change if there is a change in need.
3. Needs are more vast and include requirements, while requirements are limited in scope.
4. The need is a broad process that only figures out the objective or goal needed to be accomplished, while requirements are the specific and detailed process that lays out all the processes one must accomplish to reach the desired goal.
5. The need is independent and only influenced by human beings, while the requirement depends on need and changes if there is a change in need.

References

1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.2334-5837.1993.tb01553.x
2. https://digital-library.theiet.org/content/journals/10.1049/ip-c.1993.0041

Last Updated : 25 July, 2023