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Subject:Re: Documentation and CMM? From:"Atkinson, Phil" <Phil -dot- Atkinson -at- BRAID -dot- CO -dot- UK> Date:Fri, 19 Feb 1999 16:01:44 -0000
Beth,
you appear to be working in utopia! If you ever have any vacancies, please
let me know.
Seriously though, I can only assume that you have backup from senior
management in order to make this feasible. It seems you are very lucky
working for a company that, as far as documentation & testing are concerned,
are obviously very enlightened.
Are any of your senior management ex-authors or testers by any chance?
------------------------------------ * ------------------------------------
Phil Atkinson - Documentation Manager - Braid Systems Limited mailto:phil -dot- atkinson -at- braid -dot- co -dot- uk
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Beth Agnew [SMTP:BAgnew -at- INSYSTEMS -dot- COM]
> Sent: Friday, February 19, 1999 1:07 PM
> To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject: Re: Documentation and CMM?
>
> The easiest way we've found to ensure documentation is integrated into the
> development effort is to follow the same product life cycle model used by
> our developers. From the beginning, when requirements are submitted to
> development for work estimates, documentation is part of that work -- as
> is
> QA testing, customer support, training, and product distribution. We call
> it
> an Integrated Development Effort (or IDE for those of you who like TLAs).
>
> Development of documentation parallels the development of the software:
> 1. Requirements are provided for the documentation
> 2. We write specifications for the docs, and include them in a
> documentation
> plan.
> 3. Documentation tasks are outlined and appear in the project plan for
> each
> product.
> 4. As the software goes through iterations, we iterate the documentation
> as
> well. An I1 or I2 version of software (prototype) will have an
> accompanying
> "manual", even if it is cursory and restricted to only the functionality
> that is present in the prototype.
> 5. As iterations progress, the documentation keeps pace. When the product
> is
> reviewed, the documentation goes through its own review.
> 6. By the time the software is dropped to QA for testing, the testers have
> a
> manual that they can test as well. We get great feedback! And of course,
> we've done our OWN testing on the manual before this.
>
> Such an integrated development effort makes sure every department of the
> company is focused on doing what is necessary to develop and launch that
> product, and there are no "surprises". Even customer support and training
> have been involved so that they can begin to support and train users from
> day one.
>
> If you want any more details, e-mail me.
>
> -- Beth
>
> Beth Agnew
> Manager, Information Development
>
> InSystems Technologies Inc.
> 65 Allstate Parkway, Suite 100 Tel: (905) 513-1400 ext. 280
> Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 9X1 Fax: (905) 513-1419
>mailto:bagnew -at- insystems -dot- com Visit us at: http://www.insystems.com
>
> From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=
> =
>
>
