Technical writing sdlc

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The development can be separated into the phases. The terminology for these phases varies but the process is the same whichever system is used.

Successful projects allocate between 25% and 30% of resources to:

   * Define Requirements
   * Plan work including who will do each part of the work
   * Design

Include the following in the project planning from the beginning of the project:

   * Delivery
   * Documentation
   * Maintenance
   * Improvement

[edit] Phases in the Development

[edit] The Concept:

   * Initialization
   * Analysis and Planning

[edit] Constructing the project:

   * Design
   * Development
   * Testing and Integration

[edit] Using the Product:

   * Delivery
   * Maintenance
   * Improvement

The Requirements are written in the first 30% of the Concept phase of life cycle. The Requirements are modified and tracked in the Constructing phase. The Requirements are used as testing and acceptance criteria in the Constructing and Using phases. In addition, the Requirements provide a basis for user documentation and training.

Example 1: Construct an Office Building

The process is as follows:

[edit] The Concept

The concept is a new building for a call centre. The concept derives from the fact that the Customer has a business need to expand the number of call centre operators because of an increase in activity in that area. Initialization of the Project

A Project Manager is appointed.

[edit] Discover the Goals of the Customer

   * G100 A single floor office suitable for a call centre with 50 call centre operators
   * G200 Close to the centre of town

[edit] Test the Feasibility of the Goals with the Customer

The Business analyst visits an existing call centre and discusses aspects of the project with the customer. The questions are recorded on a Detail Information Specification along with the answers

• Q100 Where must the building be?
  • AQ100 Near the centre of town (Define more exactly)
    • DAQ100 If the Customer has a preferred site exactly where is it?
      • ADAQ100 Budejovicka
• Q110 Why must the building be in the centre of town?
  • AQ110 The call centre needs to be near the centre of town because it will operate using part time workers and will operate 24 hour a day seven days a week 365 days a year. It is easier to recruit and retain staff in the centre of town
• Q115 How far away in minutes walk from the metro or bus can it be?
• Q150 How much space is needed for 50 call centre operators?
  • Q155 Define "enough room" for example:
    • Q155.1. How big and how close together are the workstations for each call centre operator? If the work stations will be the same size as those on the site visited then it will be enough to measure them. If they are different **** Q155.2 How much space is needed for the Call Distribution System Equipment
• Q210 Is there a Market for extra office space?
• Q220 Will the local Municipality grant permission for the building?
• Q230 Will there be access by road?
• Q300 Is there enough money to complete the project?
• Q900 What will the ecological impact of the construction be?

Remember

     that all the Questions are numbered and that each answer provokes a new question

     Also note that manual numbering becomes complicated very quickly.

     It is much easier to use a task tracking system like CSS or TFS to do this.

Plan the Building

[edit] The Requirements are that there must be:

   * R100 Single storey building
   * R200 Enough space ( See answer to AQ150) for Call Centre for 50 workers plus support workers:
         o R210 Room for Cleaning
         o R220 Entrance with Reception
         o R230 Parking
         o R240 Normal services

[edit] Constructing the Project

  1. Design the building
     Does the design of the building satisfy all the above Requirements and all the safety Requirements?
  2. Construct the building with proper tools
     Integrate the building by connecting the building to the road system, electricity, water, gas, telephone, internet, waste water
  3. Test the building
     Does the building satisfy all the above Requirements?
     Does the building satisfy all the safety Requirements?

[edit] Using the Product

  1. Delivery of the building
     Open the building to the occupants
  2. Maintenance of the building
     Does the building still satisfy all the above Requirements?
     Does the building still satisfy all the safety Requirements?
  3. Improvement
     It is important to analyse the knowledge gained from constructing the building and construct an even better building next time

Technical Writing at Wikiversity The Systems Development Life Cycle starts with User Goals, which are translated into Requirements, that lead to Functions, Specified within the Structure that becomes the Product delivered by to the User. The User compares Functions within the Structure to Goals and the process repeats. A Simplified Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Goals Users have Goals. They want to communicate. They want to feel smart. They want to be entertained. They want to make more money by doing less work. They achieve these Goals by using Products. If the Products do not work, they search for new Functions that will meet their Goals. Users Goals continually drive the life cycle. The SDLC always begins with the Goals of the users of the system. At first, these Goals are expressed as vague wishes. An analyst must translate these goals into testable Functions. Together, the users, analysts, managers, and developers prioritize and describe the Functions that shall meet User Goals. This initial description of User Requirements is crucial to project success. Functions Functions are system actions caused by Users. Functions must serve User Goals described in the Requirements. The Functions of the system lead to the more detailed Specification of the logical and physical system Structure. Functions describe WHAT must happen, then designers and developers specify HOW it happens in the Structure. Structures Structures both support and limit the system. Structures respond to the environment of the Users, as well as the capabilities of the developers. Structures provide interfaces, data, workflow, integration, safety, and security. Together, they are tested and delivered to the Users as a Product. The Users interact with the Product. If the User's Goals are met in the Functions of the Product, the process continues allowing the User to discover new Goals and developers to add new Functions and Structures in the system.

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