RTMify Status Codes Reference
The RTMify Status column (last column on every tab) tells you whether each row is fully linked and audit-ready, or has gaps that need fixing. Five possible values: OK, NO_TEST_LINKED, MISSING_USER_NEED, UNRESOLVED, and MISSING_ID. Any non-OK status is an audit finding waiting to happen.
Status Overview
RTMify auto-populates the Status column when it processes your file. When used standalone, treat it as a manual checklist. All five status codes map to specific compliance clauses across AS9100, ISO 13485, DO-178C, IEC 62304, ISO 26262, and ASPICE.
| Status | Appears On | Meaning | Severity | How to Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
OK | All tabs | Fully linked and consistent. Node is in the graph, all referenced IDs resolve, all edges exist. | Clean | See detailed guide |
NO_TEST_LINKED | Requirements, User Needs | Requirement has no Test Group in column E. Unverified requirement — gap that surfaces in every RTM audit. | Warning | See detailed guide |
MISSING_USER_NEED | Requirements tab | Requirement references no parent User Need in column C. Traceability break — violates §8.3.3 / §7.3.3 / ASPICE SWE.1. | Warning | See detailed guide |
UNRESOLVED | Any tab with references | References an ID that doesn't exist in another tab. Fix the referenced ID or add the missing row before generating an RTM. | Error | See detailed guide |
MISSING_ID | All tabs | Row has data but column A is blank. Row was skipped entirely — nothing was ingested into the graph. | Error | See detailed guide |
Status Code Details
OK — Clean
What Triggers This Status
All of the following conditions are met:
- Row has a unique ID in column A
- All referenced IDs (user needs, tests, risks) exist on their respective tabs
- All cross-tab links resolve without errors
- No mandatory fields are blank
- The row is fully integrated into the traceability graph
Why It Matters for Compliance
OK is your baseline for audit readiness. Every major standard (AS9100, ISO 13485, DO-178C, IEC 62304, ISO 26262, ASPICE) requires that traceability networks be complete and internally consistent. An OK row proves structural integrity. However, OK does not validate semantic correctness — your requirement text could still be vague, your test could still be flawed. Use OK as a necessary but not sufficient condition for sign-off.
Example Scenario
You have a requirement REQ-001 that links to user need UN-001 and test group TG-001. All three IDs exist on their tabs, the links are bidirectional, and there are no blank fields. RTMify shows OK. This row can be included in your RTM and presented to an auditor without structural objections.
How to Maintain It
- Never leave column A (ID) blank
- Before referencing another ID, verify it exists on its tab
- Keep bidirectional links in sync: if REQ-001 → UN-001, then UN-001 must reference REQ-001 in the Requirements column
- Run RTMify regularly to catch drift
NO_TEST_LINKED — Warning
What Triggers This Status
A requirement exists and has a valid ID, but column E (Test Group reference) is blank or references a non-existent test group.
Which Tabs It Appears On
Primarily on the Requirements tab. Can also appear on the User Needs tab if a User Need has no test coverage linked through any requirement.
Why It Matters for Compliance
Every major standard requires verification traceability:
- AS9100 §8.3.5: "Verification of requirements shall be established and maintained"
- ISO 13485 §7.3.5–7.3.6: Design outputs must be verified
- DO-178C §6.3: "Traceability shall exist from system requirements to test cases"
- IEC 62304 §5.5: "Traceability of requirements to implementation and verification shall be established"
- ISO 26262 Part 6, §9–11: ASIL requirements must trace to verification
- ASPICE SWE.4–SWE.6: Verification links are mandatory
An auditor will ask: "How do you know this requirement works?" If you have no test, you have no answer. This is a finding.
Example Scenario
You have REQ-042: The system shall process uploads within 5 seconds. The requirement is properly linked to user need UN-018, but column E is blank. RTMify shows NO_TEST_LINKED. In your audit, the examiner asks which test verifies the 5-second requirement. You have no answer. Finding issued.
How to Fix It (Step by Step)
- Create a test group (if it doesn't exist):
- Go to the Tests tab
- Add a new row with a unique test group ID, e.g.,
TG-042 - Add test case(s) that verify the requirement
- Link the test group to the requirement:
- Go back to Requirements tab, row with NO_TEST_LINKED
- In column E, enter the test group ID (e.g.,
TG-042)
- Create reverse link:
- Go to the Tests tab, row TG-042
- In the Requirements column, reference
REQ-042
- Re-run RTMify: Status should flip to OK
MISSING_USER_NEED — Warning
What Triggers This Status
A requirement exists and has a valid ID, but column C (User Need reference) is blank or references a non-existent user need.
Which Tabs It Appears On
Requirements tab only. This status indicates a broken upstream link.
Why It Matters for Compliance
Bidirectional traceability is non-negotiable across all six standards:
- AS9100 §8.3.3: "Requirements traceability shall be established and maintained"
- ISO 13485 §7.3.3: "Design inputs shall be reviewed and approved"
- DO-178C: "Bidirectional traceability shall be established"
- IEC 62304 §5.2: "Traceability from user needs to requirements shall be established"
- ISO 26262 §8: "Traceability shall be established between safety goals and requirements"
- ASPICE SYS.1, SWE.1: Bidirectional traceability is mandatory
A requirement with no user need is an orphan — you cannot prove it was requested. Auditors will flag this as a traceability break and a non-conformance.
Example Scenario
You have REQ-105: The system shall encrypt all PII at rest in column A–B, but column C is blank. When asked "Where does this encryption requirement come from?", you have no user need to point to. The auditor asks: "Is this a scope creep requirement?" Finding issued.
How to Fix It (Step by Step)
- Identify the user need:
- Go to User Needs tab
- Find the user need that led to this requirement (or create one if missing)
- Note its ID, e.g.,
UN-050
- Add the reference:
- Go back to Requirements tab, row REQ-105
- In column C, enter the user need ID:
UN-050
- Create reverse link:
- Go to User Needs tab, row UN-050
- In the Requirements column, add
REQ-105
- Re-run RTMify: Status should flip to OK (unless NO_TEST_LINKED also applies)
UNRESOLVED: X — Error
What Triggers This Status
A row contains a reference to an ID (in any column: User Needs, Tests, Risks, or Requirements) that does not exist on its target tab. RTMify appends the unresolved ID to the status, e.g., UNRESOLVED: UN-999.
Which Tabs It Appears On
Any tab with cross-tab references: Requirements, Tests, Risks. User Needs tab if a user need references a non-existent requirement.
Why It Matters for Compliance
This is a data integrity error. The traceability graph is incomplete — a link points to nothing. All standards require complete, verifiable traceability:
- ASPICE SYS.1: "Bidirectional traceability of requirements shall be established and maintained with a traceability matrix"
- ISO 26262 §6: "Traceability shall be established between ... safety requirements ... and ... verification activities"
- All standards: Graph integrity is fundamental to audit credibility
You cannot sign off on an RTM with UNRESOLVED statuses. The graph is broken.
Example Scenario
You have REQ-200 that references user need UN-999 in column C. But UN-999 does not exist on the User Needs tab — perhaps it was deleted by mistake, or the ID was misspelled. RTMify shows UNRESOLVED: UN-999. Your RTM is now incomplete and cannot be released.
How to Fix It (Step by Step)
Two options, choose one:
Option 1: Create the missing row
- Go to the tab where the missing ID should exist (e.g., User Needs for UN-999)
- Add a new row with the missing ID in column A
- Fill in the row with appropriate content
- Create the reverse link back to the original requirement
- Re-run RTMify: UNRESOLVED should become OK
Option 2: Fix the reference
- Go back to the row showing UNRESOLVED (e.g., REQ-200)
- Check which ID is unresolved (RTMify tells you: UN-999)
- Verify the correct ID exists on the target tab
- Update the reference to the correct ID
- Delete the row with the wrong ID if it has no other links
- Re-run RTMify: UNRESOLVED should become OK
MISSING_ID — Error
What Triggers This Status
A row has content (text in columns B, C, D, etc.) but column A (ID) is blank or missing. RTMify cannot ingest this row into the traceability graph — there is no unique identifier to anchor it.
Which Tabs It Appears On
All tabs (User Needs, Requirements, Tests, Risks).
Why It Matters for Compliance
Requirements and needs must be uniquely identifiable and traceable. All standards require this:
- ASPICE SYS.1: "Requirements shall be uniquely identified"
- ISO 26262 §8.1: "Functional requirements shall be clearly specified and documented"
- All standards: Unidentified items cannot be audited or traced
RTMify skips this row entirely. It does not appear in the RTM, the traceability matrix, or any audit report. It exists in your spreadsheet but not in your formal documentation.
Example Scenario
You have a User Needs row where column A is blank, but column B contains "The user shall be able to export data". RTMify cannot identify this need — there is no ID. The row is silently skipped. Later, when a requirement references this need, RTMify shows UNRESOLVED because the need was never ingested into the graph.
How to Fix It (Step by Step)
- Identify the blank ID row: Scan column A for empty cells (use Ctrl+F in Excel/Sheets to find empty cells)
- Assign a unique ID:
- Follow your ID naming convention (e.g., UN-001, UN-002, etc.)
- Ensure the ID doesn't conflict with existing IDs on that tab
- Enter it in column A
- Update cross-references:
- If other rows reference this row by description or partial match, update them to use the new ID
- Create bidirectional links if applicable
- Re-run RTMify: Status should become OK (assuming other fields are valid)
Which Standards Care About Which Statuses
Every status code maps to specific compliance clauses. Use this guide to understand which audit findings will be raised for each status.
NO_TEST_LINKED
- AS9100 §8.3.5
- ISO 13485 §7.3.5, §7.3.6
- DO-178C §6.3
- IEC 62304 §5.5
- ISO 26262 Part 6, §9-11
- ASPICE SWE.4, SWE.5, SWE.6
MISSING_USER_NEED
- AS9100 §8.3.3
- ISO 13485 §7.3.3
- DO-178C Bidirectional traceability
- IEC 62304 §5.2
- ISO 26262 §8
- ASPICE SYS.1, SWE.1
UNRESOLVED
- All standards Data integrity & completeness
- ASPICE SYS.1 (traceability links)
- ISO 26262 §6 (traceability)
MISSING_ID
- All standards Data integrity & completeness
- ASPICE SYS.1 (requirement identification)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ignore warnings and just fix errors? +
No — warnings are audit findings waiting to happen. NO_TEST_LINKED and MISSING_USER_NEED trigger non-conformance findings in AS9100, ISO 13485, DO-178C, IEC 62304, ISO 26262, and ASPICE audits. Every warning must be addressed before sign-off. Your audit team will ask "where's the test for this requirement?" and "which user need does this come from?" — have answers ready.
What if RTMify shows OK but I know there's an issue? +
RTMify checks structural integrity only: IDs resolve, edges exist, no blanks. It does NOT validate semantic correctness. If your requirement text is unclear, your test is wrong, or your traceability link is misleading, RTMify will show OK. Use OK as a baseline — then do manual review. A green spreadsheet is necessary but not sufficient for audit readiness.
How do I fix UNRESOLVED when I haven't created the referenced item yet? +
Two paths: (1) Create the missing row on the referenced tab with the referenced ID, or (2) Update the current row to reference a different ID that already exists. Until one of these happens, RTMify will keep flagging UNRESOLVED. You cannot sign off on an RTM with UNRESOLVED statuses — the graph is incomplete.
Do status codes work the same in RTMify Live? +
Yes. RTMify Live recalculates statuses in real-time as you edit. If you add a Test Group to a requirement with NO_TEST_LINKED, the status flips to OK immediately. Same logic applies to all five codes. Use Live mode for edit-as-you-audit workflows; batch processing in RTMify™ for final sign-off.