RE: I've been wrong all along...more pictures less words

["Lauren" <lt34 -at- csus -dot- edu>]

I have a problem with the concept "as-is."  In this case, it is too vague.
For Richard, it is the current state of a business process.  For John, it is
the (probably packaged) state of a software program and it cannot exist for
new software.  For sales, it means that there is no warranty.  So I don't
like the term because of its multiple and easily interchanged meanings.  

In a couple of my jobs, I would document the current state of the business
process and, in dead time, program applications to automate many of the
processes.  There was an "as-is" state for the collection of processes and
there was not an "as-is" state for the collection of applications until the
applications were developed.  The documentation that I produced supported
both, but with different version numbers of the documentation.  Technically,
the documentation supported two as-is states; one was the state of the
processes without the applications, version 1, and the other was the state
of the processes with the applications, version 2.  The end result of the
processes performed with either version of the documentation produced the
same result, so this was the same process with two different as-is states.

Now my little process applications are not exactly at the same level as
large software applications, but documenting the process without the
application and then with application required documenting the same business
and functional requirements.  I documented requirements when I documented
the processes and I built the applications consistent with the requirements.
So the applications were an optional tool, but the requirements, which were
the critical piece of the documentation were based on the current, or as-is,
processes and not the, at the time, undeveloped applications.

Lauren

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or 
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.