If there's one feature that defines CIVIRES and sets it apart from every other tool in the market, it's automatic bidirectional linking between requirements and documents. It sounds technical, but the concept is simple—and the impact on your daily work is transformative.
The Problem It Solves
In a traditional DOA workflow, your compliance matrix is a document—usually an Excel spreadsheet. Your certification documents are separate files. The relationships between them exist only in:
- Column references in your spreadsheet
- Section headers in your documents
- Your team's collective memory
When something changes on either side, someone has to manually update the other. And "someone" often means "hopefully someone remembers to."
How Bidirectional Linking Works
In CIVIRES, requirements and documents are connected at the database level. When you fill out your compliance matrix and specify that requirement CS 25.1309(b)(1) is addressed by the Functional Hazard Assessment, CIVIRES creates a permanent, bidirectional link.
From the requirement side: Click any requirement to see every document that addresses it, every compliance showing, every test report.
From the document side: Open any document to see which requirements it satisfies, which compliance showings it supports, which project milestones depend on it.
Why "Bidirectional" Matters
A one-way reference is just a hyperlink. Bidirectional means the relationship is maintained from both ends automatically:
- Change a requirement? Every linked document is flagged for review.
- Revise a document? The compliance matrix reflects the new version.
- Delete a compliance showing? The system warns you about orphaned documents and uncovered requirements.
This isn't just convenient—it's a fundamental shift in how certification data integrity is maintained.
Real-World Impact
Our early adopters report:
- 90% reduction in time spent cross-checking compliance matrices against documents
- Zero disconnects discovered during authority audits (compared to an average of 3-5 per audit previously)
- 60% faster response to authority questions about compliance showings
The engineers who use CIVIRES consistently say the same thing: "I can't believe we used to do this manually."
Getting Started
Bidirectional linking is available from day one in every CIVIRES deployment. It works with your existing document templates and naming conventions. The system adapts to you—not the other way around.