Document Checklist

The process of product development typically generates numerous documents. The table below presents a checklist of the documents I have found most useful in the product development process and a short description of the goals and format of each. Of course, not all products/projects will have each one of these documents, nor will all documents be structured exactly as shown here; however, it is helpful to be aware of the types of documents that may be necessary and the information they should contain:

DOCUMENT	a.k.a.	RESPONSIBLE TEAM	ANALYSIS PHASE	DEVELOPMENT PHASE - Alpha	DEVELOPMENT PHASE - Code Freeze	DEVELOPMENT PHASE - Launch
Marketing Requirements Document	MRD	Product Marketing
Product Requirements Document	PRD	Product Management
Product Plan	PP	Product Management
Use Cases	UC	Product Management
User Experience Requirements	UER	UI Team
Program Plan	PP	Program Management
Reporting Plan	RP	Program Management
Architecture Plan	AP	Development
Detailed Design Specification	DDS	Development
API Specifications	API	Development
Test Plan	TP	QA
Acceptance Criteria	AC	QA
Test Cases	TC	QA
Test Summary Report	TSR	QA
Release Specification	RS	Release Management
Support Plan and Service Level Agreement	SLA	Customer Care
Operations Reference Manual	ORM	Network Operations
System and Network Specification	SNS	Network Operations
User Manual	UM	Documentation
Training Plan	TP	Documentation
Training Manual	TM	Documentation

Marketing Requirements Document
The Marketing Requirements Document provides the business and market analysis, quantitative analysis, and strategic planning as context for the development of new products. Marketing requirements are based on market research, interviews with prospective customers, and competitive analysis.

Market Analysis
- State of the Market
- Market Segmentation
- Customer Problems
- Technology Assessment
- Competitive Review
Quantitative Analysis
- Market Sizing
- Product Profitability
Strategic Planning
- Business Case
- Buy, Build, or Partner Recommendations
- Pricing
- Thought Leaders
- Innovations in this Market

Product Requirements Document
The Product Requirements Document defines the functionality that the product will provide. It defines processing and data requirements for each feature or function. The Product Requirements Document refers to the User Experience Requirements for details of the User Interface. The Product Requirements Document is based upon Marketing Requirements and forms the basis for design efforts. Click here to view example Product Requirements Document templates.

Product Plan
The Product Plan is a comprehensive plan for bringing a product to market.

Market Overview
- Competitive Product Review
Product Overview
- Product Roadmap
- Product Planning
- Product Definition and Requirements
- Product Positioning
Roll-Out/Sales Process
- Promotional Communications
- Advertising
- Press
- Collateral (e.g. brochures, white papers)
- Sales Tools
- Channel Support

Use Cases
A Use Case is a practical description of a user need or process, and how it is accomplished with the system. Use cases represent one or more goals or tasks that the user wants to accomplish. Use cases capture the expected system usage for user tasks and key system functions. A thorough use case consists of the following:

Goal in Context
Priority (high, medium, low)
Precondition
Successful End Condition
Failed End Conditions
Primary Actors
Secondary Actors
Successful Flow
Secondary Flow(s)
Performance
Frequency
Open Issues

User Experience Requirements
The User Experience Requirements defines the user interface requirements for a system. It provides general and specific requirements, including the specific screens or pages that comprise the user interface. (This document may be folded into the Functional Specification.)

System Overview
Usability Studies
Usability Requirements
User Process Flow Charts
Site Map
Screen Mockups
Cross-Reference between UI Elements and Functional Specification

Program Plan
The Program Plan describes the overall schedule, dependencies, and information about an entire program.

Project Objective Statement
Project Overview
Project Organization
Deliverables
Project Schedule
- Project Roles
- Project Phases
- Key Milestones
- Key Dependencies
- Gantt Chart
- Test Plan
- Documentation Plan
- Training Plan
- Acceptance Plan
- Support Plan
Project Management
- Progress Reports
- Change Control
- Issues
- Assumptions
- Risks, Contingency, Mitigation
- Escalation Process

Reporting Plan
The Reporting Plan describes the detailed reporting requirements and report formats for the system.

Reporting Overview
Reporting Requirements
Report Formats
Report Frequency
Data Privacy Requirements

Architecture Plan
The Architecture Plan describes the high level system design. It is based upon the Use Cases, User Experience Requirements, and Functional Specification for the system.

Design Objectives
Design Constraints
Design Standards
High Level System Architecture
System Interface Requirements
Third Party Integration Requirements
Capacity and Volumetrics
Performance Issues
Operational Requirements
Distribution Architecture
Reliability Design
Security Architecture

Detailed Design Specification
The Detailed Design Specification describes the detailed system design. It is based on the Architecture Plan, Use Cases, User Experience Requirements, and Functional Specification for the system.

Data Flow Model
Module Hierarchies
Class Hierarchy
Interface Specifications
Logical Database Design
Physical Database Design

API Specification
The API Specification provides detailed Application Programming Interface details.

Application Module
Function Descriptions
Function Calling Conventions (with examples)

Test Plan
The Test Plan is a comprehensive plan for testing an application. It describes the types of testing that will be conducted, resource requirements, and detailed information about roles and responsibilities.

Features to be Tested (prioritized)
Features Not to be Tested
Schedule
Testing Approach
Testing Types (Unit, Functional, System, etc.)
Entry and Exit Criteria
Bug Tracking
Test Deliverables
Environmental Needs

Acceptance Criteria
Acceptance Criteria provide an overall set of tasks that can be performed to determine if the system meets the requirements and can be accepted by the customer or for the next phase of development.

Acceptance Tests
Approvals

Test Cases
Test Cases provide detailed instructions for conducting tests. Completed Test Cases, annotated with the test results, form a historical record of test execution and results.

Test Execution Notes
Test Steps
Expected Results
Actual Results

Test Summary Report
Test Summary Reports provide overall information about the number of test cases conducted, successful completion percentage, and other summary information.

Test Cases Executed
Successful Test Cases

Release Specification
A Release Specification documents the content of a software release.

Release Tracking
- Overview
- Related Documentation
- Highlights
- Known Problems and Workarounds
- New Features
QA Tracking
- QA Releases
- Bug Reports
- Summary of Testing Completed
Operations Tracking
- Packages
- Installation Instructions
- Verification Instructions
Release Certificate

Operations Reference Manual
The Operations Reference Manual provides detailed plans and processes for installing, launching, and supporting a system in the production environment.

Facilities Management
- Facilities Plan
- Hardware and Software Inventory List
System Administration
- User Account Management
- Database Maintenance Procedures
- Backup and Recovery Procedures
- System Security Administration
- System Configuration
Network Administration
- Network Implementation Plan
- Network Security Administration
- Network Configuration
Deployment
- Launch Procedures
- Cutover/Migration Plans
- Validation Checklist

Support Plan and Service Level Agreement
The Support Plan/SLA describes requirements and procedures for supporting the system, as well as specific agreements related to levels of service.

Service Overview
Dependencies on Other Services
Roles and Responsibilities
Support Levels
Availability and Reliability
Scheduled Application Unavailability and Maintenance
Performance Criteria
Fault Reporting, Response, and Resolution
Forecasting (Application Users and Volumetrics)
Backup and Recovery
Archival and Retention
Business Recovery/Continuation
Security Considerations

System and Network Specification
The System and Network Specification defines the system and network infrastructure to support a product or application.

Topology
Connectivity
Fail-over and Load Balancing Procedures
Network Device Inventory
Network Device Configuration

User Manual
The User Manual is a task-oriented guide for using an application. Separate User Manuals may be provided for different user types or products.

Application Overview
Key Concepts
Overview of User Interface
Procedural Instructions (for each function a user can perform)

Training Plan
The Training Plan describes the curriculum for all of the training courses for administrators and end users.

Training Overview
Course Descriptions

Training Manual
The Training Manual provides the detailed instructions and guidelines for each training course. Click here for techniques on creating effective training materials.