Efficient Development of a Product Using Precise Documentation

Introduction

The documentation work before starting the development of a product includes Business Requirements Document (BRD), Work Flow Diagrams, Data Flow Diagrams, Software Requirements Specification (SRS), User Stories, Use Cases, Wire Frames, and Prototypes. The purpose of these documents is to precisely convey to the development team, the entire concept & needs of the project. With these documents, the development team won't be confused at any point, about the flow and functionality of the software / application.

Prerequisites

• Tools for creating Flow Diagrams, Wire Frames, and Prototypes:
  • Axure RP, Sketch, InVision, etc.
• Tools for Business Requirements Document (BRD), Software Requirements Specification (SRS), User Stories, and Use Cases:
  • Microsoft Office Suite.

Documents

Business Requirements Document (BRD)

A Business Requirements Document (BRD) is created at the inception of the project, where the business model/business process of the client is captured. It begins with getting insights into the work, the client is handling without the software / application. Processes are mentioned step by step, including the functional requirements, non-functional requirements, and other bottlenecks. 

Flow Diagrams

As the requirements are captured from the Business Requirements Document (BRD), the next phase is to create the Flow Diagrams, which includes Work Flow and Data Flow Diagrams. In Work Flow Diagrams, the manual business process is converted into an automated flow, upon which the software / application would be developed. And for that, Data Flow Diagrams comes into the picture. The Data Flow Diagrams basically takes the Work Flow Diagrams to the next level. Data Flow Diagrams displays how various kinds of data would enter the software / application, and would flow all across. 

Software Requirements Specification (SRS), User Stories and Use Cases

When the work flow and data flow are finalized, the detailed documentation begins with the creation of Software Requirements Specification (SRS), User Stories, and Use Cases. In the SRS, the data flow is opened up and transcribed into an understandable language, including all the modules and functionalities. Use Cases and User Stories, on the other hand, includes all the possible scenarios, which might arise while different users start using the software / application.

Wire Frames & Prototypes

The Wire Frames and Prototypes are used to visually represent the entire software / application. These are made by the help of SRS, User Stories, and Use Cases, covering all scenarios. The Wire Frames are basically the segregated screens of modules and functionalities, while the Prototypes are more of a dummy software / application, with working capability somewhere close to the real application. Hence, the Prototypes can be used to demonstrate the application to the client, to gain his / her confidence and get a go-ahead for the development.

Conclusion

The initial documentation part plays a vital role in giving a clear understanding of the project to the entire team, and it plays a major role in keeping all the teammates on the same page.