Operations · 20 min

Draft a business requirements document from the project brief and meetings

Word

Short answer: In Word, reference the project brief and the meeting recaps and ask Copilot for a BRD: summary, scope in and out, objectives with success measures, numbered requirements with priority, and open questions. Anything nobody actually agreed goes in the open questions list, not the requirements.

Last checked against Microsoft docs: Oct 21, 2026

A vague requirements doc costs weeks later, when the build doesn't match what people meant. A clear BRD gets everyone to agree before the work starts. The person who can turn messy meetings into a clear spec is valuable on every project.

A common situation (composite)

We've had four meetings about the new process.
Engineering wants a BRD by Friday.
Half the decisions are buried in recaps.

What you get

Data: a project brief and recaps of the meetings where it was discussed.
Does: drafts the BRD and separates decisions from open questions.
Output: a BRD draft ready for review.
How often: at the start of every project that needs a build.

Before you start

Needs: Microsoft 365 Copilot. Not sure what you have? Start here.
Microsoft's label for this scenario: Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Where: Copilot in Word.
Access: Copilot only uses content you already have permission to open. Use only information your company allows in Copilot.

The steps

Collect the brief and the meeting recaps or transcripts.
Open a blank Word document and run the prompt with the files referenced.
Check every requirement against the source it came from.
Run the follow-up to make the requirements testable.
Send it to stakeholders with the open questions on top.

Copy this prompt

Using [project brief] and [meeting recaps], draft a business requirements document for [project]:
- Executive summary (5 lines)
- Scope: in and out
- Objectives, each with a success measure
- Requirements table: ID | Requirement | Priority (must, should, could) | Source (which file or meeting) | Owner
- Assumptions and constraints
- Open questions, with who should answer

Only list a requirement if it was agreed in a source. Anything discussed but not agreed goes in open questions.

(Prompt from stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/business-requirements-doc/)

Make it better

Run this next, in the same chat.

Rewrite each requirement so it's testable: what the system or process must do, for whom, and how we'll know it works. Flag any requirement that's really two requirements, and any that could be read two ways.

(Prompt from stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/business-requirements-doc/)

Data tip: use this with your work Copilot, and leave out passwords, payment details and anything your company marks restricted.

What a good result looks like

Every requirement names its source, open questions are separate from agreed requirements, and each requirement can be tested.

If a feature is missing

Without Copilot in Word, paste the brief and recaps into Copilot Chat. For long recaps, summarize each meeting first, then build the BRD from the summaries.

Make it smarter

Keep a short "What it got wrong" note. Paste it above the prompt next time, like "Don't invent dates".

Not sure what to ask? Copy the quick note for your Copilot admin.

Questions people ask

Draft a business requirements document from the project brief and meetings?

In Word, reference the project brief and the meeting recaps and ask Copilot for a BRD: summary, scope in and out, objectives with success measures, numbered requirements with priority, and open questions. Anything nobody actually agreed goes in the open questions list, not the requirements.

What do I need for this?

Microsoft 365 Copilot. Without Copilot in Word, paste the brief and recaps into Copilot Chat. For long recaps, summarize each meeting first, then build the BRD from the summaries.

How long should a BRD be?

As short as it can be while still clear. For most internal projects, two to five pages.

Can Copilot decide priorities?

It can suggest them, but priorities are a business decision. Confirm them with the project sponsor.

What if stakeholders disagree in the meetings?

Ask Copilot to list where they disagreed and who said what. Put those in open questions and settle them in the review.

Next step

Try it once, then make it yours.

Run the prompt on one real task this week. Then pick your next workflow.

See the workflow library ↗

Cite or share this guide

Draft a business requirements document from the project brief and meetings. Stuck with Copilot. https://stuckwithcopilot.com/guides/business-requirements-doc/ Last checked Oct 21, 2026.

One Copilot idea a week

One idea a week that makes your job easier, makes you smarter, and gets your Copilot doing more for you. Something genuinely cool, not a hack. Built for people in sales, marketing and ops.

Where this comes from

Inspired by Microsoft's Copilot scenarios. See the original at Microsoft Copilot adoption (Microsoft 365 Copilot Prompt Pack for Operations). The prompts and steps here are rewritten and expanded by Stuck with Copilot. This site is not affiliated with Microsoft.

Official references

Last checked against Microsoft docs: Oct 21, 2026.