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<snip>
After working for a few months at my new company I've noticed a general
lack of awareness on the part of engineers as to the role and importance of
documentation. This lack of awareness is expressed in sketchy SRS's that
lack information, last-minute rush jobs to complete documentation tasks,
failure to read existing documentation or devote the time necessary to
provide feedback and lack of awareness of how to provide feedback. In
light of this I decided it would be of benifit both to me and the company
to "educate" R&D and program managers by providing a forum for discussing
documentation issues.
</snip>
This is a laudable idea, but it doesn't go far enough. I presume by SRSs,
you mean system requirements specifications. The engineers' most senior
management should promulgate standards for system development and
documentation, including templates, preferably in line with standards
published by the IEEE. This is a long, painful process with much more work
needed to resolve political issues than technical ones--I know because I've
done it. Still, it's well worth the effort.
John_F_Renish -at- notes -dot- seagate -dot- com, San Jose, California, USA
My remarks do not represent any other person or entity
"A collision at sea can ruin your entire day."
--Thucydides
