"I believe the reluctance by most to developing sufficient documentation during development is not so much because of the lack of requirements (external demands) but simply a lack of understanding to the internal value… I also think most folks look at documents as a reflection of what is done, but the value is that it provides the road map for future success and the yardstick for accountability." - Friend, Bill.
Friend Bill's experience has taught him that documentation usually takes a back seat in a product development effort and is often 'backed into' after a design is 'completed' because it's considered only as a necessary evil and not that important. Well… product development documentation is extremely necessary, and must not be considered an evil: documents are the media of communicating, tracking, preserving, promoting and validating a product and it's development. In other words, documentation is the foundation and life-blood of a product. Simply put: a company can not design, produce, validate, sell and support a successful product without documentation of some sort.
Accounting for the standard level of lady-luck and an appropriate state of the world, a successful product is:
- Defined by users, markets & industry standards,
- Designed, Implemented & Tested by designers & developers,
- Produced by manufacturers & suppliers,
- Verified by the product owner, designers, developers, manufacturers, regulatory & industry standards groups,
- Validated by markets, users, corporate guidelines, watchdog & governmental groups.
All of this is significantly achieved through documentation. You just can't get away from documentation, but you don't need to be buried by it either. So, when you think of documentation, don't become fixated on piles of paper and reams of manuals. Be creative - documentation may be whatever medium you can come up with that is easily shared, controlled and maintained. But, be aware that the mind of the designer/engineer is absolutely not an appropriate candidate for a documentation medium as there are obvious barriers to sharing, control and maintenance.
