IT Project Documentation Process

This assignment delves into the crucial process of IT project documentation. It outlines the three key stages: system documentation (intended for developers), test case models, and user documentation (for end-users). The assignment emphasizes the necessity of clear, concise documentation that caters to specific audiences and facilitates understanding, modification, and enhancement of software projects.

RUNNING HEADER: HOW TO DOCUMENT AN IT PROJECT
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IT Project Documentation

HOW TO DOCUMENT AN IT PROJECT
Introduction
The definition of a context when it comes to project documentation means the
circumstances that form the setting for a project idea in terms which it can be understood.
Expounding further the term minimal context simply implies that any project documentation
done specifically in our case to IT Related topics should be easily understood and it should
revolve around the project. To achieve minimal context any project documentation done should
be brief and concise and It should revolve and or strictly adhere to the project basis.
IT projects are diverse in nature;however, all projects need documentation. The first step
of course would be choosing a project which sparks interest,and which can be completed within
the time allocated and within the budget if it exists(Rumbaugh, J., & Booch, G. (1999)). After
choosing a project and choosing to document it, it is important to consider the following;
1. Project vision statement; this will set the direction of the project by setting the
accomplishment the project will make.
2. The project charter; the project charter basically defines the scope of the entire
project in a summarized format and provides the much-needed justification for deciding to
undertake the project in the first place.
3. Requirements Specification; This will include the functional and non-functional
requirements of the project
4. Project Management plan: this involves the process of doing the actual planning
where the person undertaking the project defines the expected outcomes while also defining a
course of action to achieve these outcomes. A project management plan should be updated
constantly to ensure change in conditions is recorded.
5. Release Plan: This is a schedule that should be maintained for the entire duration
of the project (Jacobson & Booch G 1999). This particularly specifies the timing of specific
module completions of the project while also estimating an actual point of release of the final
product while also marking the completion of the project for instance in a software development
project (Bot, 2018),
After identifying and documenting the above key aspects of the project,it’s important to
note that IT project documentation basically includes four stages;
1. The process documentation
2. The project documentation
3. The system documentation
4. The user documentation
The process documentation
These four stages are important to follow for example when developing a software. The
process documentation basically entails the analysis, tools and design used while developing the
software. If let’s say one is developing a social media application he or she may include such
details as the language of coding used, the operating system platform used among other things
which relate directly to the process of development (Kronseder & GmbH, 2018).
The process documentation encompasses a lot of the key things outlined as key features
in project documentation. For one the process documentation will require the software
development team or individual to develop a requirements template. A release plan will also be
recorded to ensure that the entire project has a timeline. In addition to this the process

HOW TO DOCUMENT AN IT PROJECT
documentation includes the tools one will use while developing their project. Tools may include
sketch diagrams, information from remotes servers which is based on the project and
development platforms such as SQL.
The project documentation
The project documentation stage documents the actual work being done in this case while
developing an application and or software. The project documentation includes the time taken to
develop various models of a software and the resources used while developing the software. The
stage also includes the people involved in different ways in the project development while also
indicating the completion time and date.
AS outlined in the key features to consider, a project management plan will have to be
documented. This basically includes the bulk and heart of the project documentation, as far as
it’s a management plan, expected costs and measures to achieve outcomes can be outlined. The
management plan also includes such important details such as hierarchy in the project
development which helps in allocating responsibility and ensuring specialization in various
modules of project development.
To sensitize on the importance of the project, a project charter should be outlined in this
stage. The project charter answers the question of why the project is being undertaken in the first
place, and it can be very fundamental to let’s say investors. It summarized project format also
makes it an easy read to anyone seeking to understand what the project is about without having
to come through the entire bulk of the project documentation.
Another key point is that the project documentation should not exclude a project vision
statement or paragraph to act as a guiding light to the team involved not to mention act as a
direction. The project vision statement is also good for evaluation purposes to ascertain at the
end of the project whether the vision has been met.
In finality the project documentation stage also needs to document progress and track it
accordingly. In the case of software development, the project stage needs to document every
timeline and completion of time of each module of the software. The project documentation also
helps in facilitating team documentation in the instance where software is being developed by
teams.
The system documentation
The system documentation documents the developed system before its tested by the user,
the system is evaluated and described in terms of capability, key features and specification and
usefulness and documented. This documentation is meant to be a guiding explanation to the
users to help the understand the importance of such a project.
The system documentation must have a glossary to describe certain vocabularies
associated with the project. This phase helps explain everything about a project and of course
documentation of key terms is important. The system documentation must also include the
architecture. This is to basically outline a projects architecture and basic design. After the system
documentation its important to produce a user guide or user manual which is used in the final
stage.

HOW TO DOCUMENT AN IT PROJECT
The system documentation should have a library of documents that all describe the
systematic nature if the project. In the case of software development thus stage should bring
about the architecture and design document which basically describes the organization of the
code. This helps programmers who might purchase the system to be able to effectively identify
changes they need to effect and understand the code to a level where they can make
modifications and enhancements.
The system documentation should also have a test case model or a prototype model
where the product i.e. a software is tested just to ensure workability as described in the system
documentation. This is to ensure that the project has produced working results even before the
software is passed on to the users for testing.
The User Documentation
Finally, we have the user documentation. The user documentation is documentation done
after a user has tested an IT product such as a developed software or application and has given
their feedback. A developer or IT individual who has undertaken a project such as software
development will document the user’s comments on his or her project to ensure they improve the
product based on the users demands or they add certain features also based on the user demands.
Such documentation is very important to someone who wants to implement a project that will be
acceptable to most users.
In this stage a user guide should be produced, a user guide basically explains how to use
the software in basic steps for any user purely wishing to use the system in its basic entirety.
However, the user guide should also include a more detailed approach to allow even the more
pro- active users to understand the software’s key features and work around them. A user guide
basically should be accompanied by a user manual which now instructs on installation and or
uninstallation and provides quick problem-solving techniques and how to solve them to allow
continuity(Tech, 2018).
The user documentation should also include the target audience the project was delivered
to, this will assist in identifying the target market in case the project is being developed for
commercial purposes. There should also be a release plan after all issues have been logged in this
stage. The user documentation also finally leads to production of another user manual and an
administrator manual which provides such details such as installation media and process
(Rumbaugh, J., & Booch, G. (1999)).
An IT project such as software development may seem complex at first to document due
to the numerous processes and events involved but once its broken down into manageable phases
it becomes organized and presentable to any audience. The most important things to note is that
IT project documentation should be minimal to context, meaning it should be project specific
and easy to understand, and it should also follow the key stages for project development

HOW TO DOCUMENT AN IT PROJECT
References
Bot, D., & Bot, D. (2018). What IT Project Documentation Do I Really Need? - TU Innovates. TU
Innovates. Retrieved 19 January 2018, from http://www.tuinnovates.com/2014/09/10/what-it-
project-documentation-do-i-really-need/
Jacobson, I., Booch, G., Rumbaugh, J., Rumbaugh, J., & Booch, G. (1999). The unified software
development process (Vol. 1). Reading: Addison-wesley.
Kronseder, K., & GmbH, R. (2018). How to document a Software Development Project. Smartics.eu.
Retrieved 17 January 2018, from
https://www.smartics.eu/confluence/display/PDAC1/How+to+document+a+Software+Developm
ent+Project
Tech, V. (2018). Project Documentation Guidelines | Standard for information technology project
management | Virginia Tech. Itplanning.org.vt.edu. Retrieved 19 January 2018, from
http://www.itplanning.org.vt.edu/pm/documentation.html