Advanced Technology Developers

IF YOU WANT YOUR PROJECT TO FAIL, IGNORE THE DOCUMENTATION!

Documentation is the single, most important contributor to a successful computer project.  Still, most project managers and developers consider documentation to be only an afterthought, a necessary evil that wastes time and money at the end of a project.  They couldn't be more wrong!

Properly used, documentation serves many important functions:

• It is the written interface between clients and developers.
• It defines the project for clients and developers.
• It simplifies progress reporting and becomes the basis for reviews.
• It becomes the User Manual at the completion of the project.
• It provides information needed for maintenance and future modifications. (See Documentation: Part Two)

Client/Developer Interface.  Clients and developers do not speak the same language and the resulting misunderstandings are extremely costly in both time and money.  This expense can be avoided by producing documentation in the form of a User Manual at the project's start.  Both clients and developers understand User Manuals.

Project Definition.  Although the User Manual can and probably will change throughout the project, it always provides clients and developers with a clear definition of the current goal.  At all times the client knows what product is being produced and developers know what is expected of them.

Progress Reports.  Each time a function is completed it's section of the manual is highlighted.  Everyone knows what has been completed and what remains to be done.

User Manual.  Written in the form of a User Manual, the documentation needs little modification to become a high-quality User Manual at the project's end.  Having been used throughout the project by both client and developers, errors and unclear descriptions have already been eliminated.