State-owned institute the ERP project experience document project

Software documentation is recorded data and some data media, it and computer programs can accomplish together constitute the specific function of computer software. But, software products and hardware products are very different, it's the whole production process is not visible, but as a software product was an important part of the software document, to a great extent, get people's attention, and no related specifications. Below, I to their own an experience of training experience that some of the problems of document management software:

In 2010, a state-owned enterprises in accordance with the group company requirements institute, implement ERP project, including project management (PS), material management (MM), financial management (FICO), equipment management (PM) four modules, from April launch at the project, and formulated a complete plan and schedule for November system with the existing system online parallel, parallel four months after use formal independence.

As the research institute of IT people with key users, I in the mid-late project with project team to complete the training, unit test, integration test, operation manuals, etc. In the meantime, I realize the importance of software document, also found that the document management of related problems.

A feasibility study report, which is not enough

The feasibility study report, is that in the software development project in the realization of the technical, economic and social factors feasibility, and reviews, in order to achieve development goals of reasonable selection of all possible the implementation scheme, and argues that the selected implementation plan of reason.

However, the project is according to the requirements of the group company "required courses", therefore, the relevant work do not fully, project feasibility analysis, production, sales company before copy of the model, ignore the actual situation of some research institute. So, leading to the feasibility report in-depth, in the process of implementation of project risk and possible problems the consideration is not quite, may in the development process of unnecessary conflict, and produce some outlaw motion.

Second, survey, communication enough, the software requirements specifications and practical use of the differences are

Software requirements specifications, also called software specifications, including the development of software functionality, performance, the user interface and operation environment make detailed instructions. It is the users and developers of both parties have the common understanding software requirements based on the agreement, also is the foundation of the implementation development.

In research stage, the project team of some key users through the exchange and email question and answer, in reference to previous production and sales company of the implementation of the experience, wrote software requirements specifications. But, four modules and lack of effective communication between and contact; While most of the key users is the user, not the organizers, this leads to the coordination of each department is not very good, to relevant regulations and system master degree is not enough. Also, the production and the sales of the company's business process and the research institute of project process compared, in the certain extent have larger in and out.

Done by software requirements specifications, not users and developers of both software requirements to achieve a common understanding on the basis of an agreement, in the future the development process, the project team found a problem, then go back and users to communicate, change the software requirements specifications, not only increased workload, still affect the completion of the project time and progress, the loss outweights the gain.

Three, each module independent alone, communication less time, different document formats

So far, China is still not a fixed standardized document format, all software companies usually have their own standard, in cooperation projects is finished, can produce the result of different document formats. In the meantime, big software company, a lot of the project team, between the project team may have their own standards and be fond of, leading to the emergence of the problem.

In the development phase, four modules are made by special development personnel responsible for complete independence, between each module lack of necessary communication, lead to the same module of the same format produce documentation, and different between modules have difference. In the end, not unified document format, the user will have an opinion, but, unified document format, and the need to spend a lot of time. Therefore, in the project the start, should formulate unified document mode, and not four modules each does things in his own way, according to their own standards and ideas to modify correlative document format, the increase of the future work.

Four, key users to complete the operation manual, can't up to professional standards and actual needs

Operation manual and provides operators of the software of the knowledge about the various operation conditions, especially the operating methods of detail.

In the ERP system development after completion of basic, the project team of key users do a system of training, each module is key for users, I as IT people research institute, and follow up the four modules of the training. During the training, the project team responsible for routine operation, module to the process of the explanation and demonstration, the key users also practical operation of a complete set of the process, but no operation manual, the explanation when users can complete the key operation, but his turn when use still can appear a lot of problems, especially SAP ERP this interface not friendly, the rigidity of the operation.

And project team members no people write operation manual tension, so think out a way: the key users to complete the operation situation based on the training manual. The United States it yue: can the better to achieve the effect of training. However, each module of the key users, after complete the training, and is certainly not willing to write their own operating manual, have an excuse department work favour, have no time and subterfuge, to complete the training leadership explaination outright. This task is on postponing and onto the IT staff head... Finally IT based on the training of personnel, edge operation edge screenshots, completed the software and the writing of the operating manual. However, such a manual operation, only for training routine mentioned to function, to some deep function cannot explore, and nonprofessional personnel to complete documentation, no matter from depth, format, narrative, etc will is in, thus affecting the normal use of the future. When there is a problem, key users or have to find IT personnel, developers, virtually and add needless trouble.

Five, the testers nervous, deep enough, test report from the active test into a passive test

Test analysis report, is to test the work is done, and submit the test plan implementation instructions, and analyzed the test result, and puts forward opinions test results.

Key users with the IT staff to finish after operation training, under the guidance of the project team, according to the test plan, has the unit test, integration test, etc, and completed the test analysis report.

Because key users and IT personnel has just completed the operation of training, the master degree of the system is still not enough, can normal use already achieved the desired results. This kind of situation, in the project team, under the guidance of the unit testing and the integrated testing, it is not possible to further investigate the problem, to the normal use of the software in the future became the hidden trouble. During the test, test plan, progress, the content of the listed conditions, and personnel, test cases and so on, are operating training process, so simply go a cut-scenes, the final purpose let key users in the test results the signature, actual effect would be turned into a test report from the active tests, looking for system for passive test BUG transformation, in the form of sign after complete the task.

Six, lack of documentation management system

The present archives management department work is only provide documentation of rules and organization of roll of the project document inspection and acceptance, but didn't really start from the generation of document implements monitoring, lack of real effective document management system.

The ERP project, project from start to finish, again to later period maintenance, produced many software document. These software document at one time after use, is behind, even if it can keep it down, and there was no attention. In many cases, the end of our project, the project team will these documents to the unity of so-and-so, and may to so-and-so technology of so-and-so personnel or let archives storage, if no one access to it, a few years later, the document may be unknown. This will bring the following defects: 1, documentation is only a version, but often in the development, test process, documents to constantly changes, the document not reflect changes; 2, a separate document, in actual search, check process is very troublesome, a function if not accurate positioning to a document in, will bring tedious search process; 3, the document utilization rate is low, the document to certain people, keep, and those who really need it, but we can't see documentation, or borrowing is more tedious document, cannot be effectively reflect the role of the document.

Therefore, a complete and efficient document management system is particularly important. From the following aspects to consider document management process: 1, the management of the document Numbers, format, inventory time; 2, record the movements of the document, and save the document each version for future access; 3, a detailed document catalogue, for inspection; 4, document storage, document online add, delete, visit is very convenient; 5, distribution rigorous documentation online access; 6, improve document storage medium of physical security, completes the backup work...

Seven, summary

From the above six problems, we can see that the document is still in our country now project development stage, a lot of details not in place, no formation related criteria of constraints, the various software companies have their own behavior of a set of guidelines, lead to the document doesn't play out its practical use, at the same time also affected to some extent the software quality.

I think, party a to document the attention of engineering is not enough, and led to party b's "jerry", is no great development project document of origin. So pay attention to the stages of software development, and improve the corresponding, standard document, and sound complete documentation management system is particularly important, this should also be document the development direction of the project.