System Documentation

System documentation has different audiences because it is responds to differing stages of development, from concept to sales. Requirements have to be a bit broader in scope than design specifications—think of a requirement for your arm: Grasp a hammer. The resulting design specifications are much more minute in scope since each synapse and each muscle and each movement must be described in detail. There probably will be no user guide for “Grasp a Hammer;” instead, a manual may be offered that explains the appendage and its uses. (The user will determine the usefulness of the “arm.”)

System documentation demands clarity and consistency much beyond the normal scope of daily life. I have the background and expertise with system analysis and documentation to help your development teams ensure a successful product.

Audience

There are three primary audiences for system documents: managers, developers, and users. Management does not usually delve into the detail that engineers and programmers require. However, they need to know and understand the scope of a project to support it adequately. This explains the existence of a Concept of Operations as well as the ubiquitous "Executive Summary" in most other system documents.

What Are System-level Documents?

• Concept of Operations (Management)
• Requirements Analysis (Program Managers & System Engineers
• Design Specifications (System Engineers & Programmers)
• Unit, Application, and Acceptance test plans & Test Results analyses (Program Managers, engineers, & programmers)
• System training (users)
• Administration and User Guides (users)