A Guide to Developing a ROM Estimate

Developing a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimate will involve both subject matter experts and project managers. The “Rough Order of Magnitude” estimate should have at least a (plus or minus) 50% accuracy. The variance may not always be in this range but it should be the target for a useful “ballpark” estimate at a Read more about A Guide to Developing a ROM Estimate[…]

What is Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM)

We never know the final project cost until the project is complete. What we can do however is create an estimate. An estimate can take many forms but you cannot rely on guessing or adding a certain percentage buffer (say 10%) as a fall back plan. Regardless of scope or schedule, funding is critical in Read more about What is Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM)[…]

The 10 Steps involved in writing a Business Continuity Plan

A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) outlines the approach to be taken if and when the business is hit by adverse conditions (man-made or natural disasters). A BCP is not just a disaster recovery procedure. It is a plan to ensure that the normal day-to-day business transactions continue to function even in the event of failure Read more about The 10 Steps involved in writing a Business Continuity Plan[…]

How to Write a Software Testing Plan

Whether a software development team is building a new application or making revisions to an existing application, there is one phase that is absolutely necessary before final release to the customers. That phase is called testing and its purpose is to identify defects and make corrections. But as applications become bigger and integrate with other Read more about How to Write a Software Testing Plan[…]

Requirement Modeling and Use Case Diagrams

Requirement Modeling: A key aspect of system analysis is to translate the user needs into clear, concise and complete functional requirements of the system which are represented by requirement models. These models also work as specifications for the developers of the system. Use Case for Requirement Modeling: Use cases are the simplest and the most Read more about Requirement Modeling and Use Case Diagrams[…]

How to Write Functional Requirements

A Functional Specifications Document (FSD) is produced after the requirements gathering sessions are complete and the Business Requirements Document (BRD) is signed off. The Functional Specifications Document serves as an input to: System designers for the design of the solution Developers for the solution build out during development Testers to enable them to test the Read more about How to Write Functional Requirements[…]

Technical Documents and their Technical Writers

Technical Documentation refers to documentation about a product. The information contained in these documents can be varied and can include product information, description of features, instructions on how to use a product and troubleshooting techniques. A Technical Writer is a professional who focuses on creating technical documentation such as user guides/manuals, system manuals, operating manuals Read more about Technical Documents and their Technical Writers[…]

Writing a Compelling Business Case

A Business Case should be written with sufficient detail in a language easily comprehended by the targeted audience to facilitate decision making. For many organizations, a compelling Business Case is a pre-requisite for committing investment into new projects and products. Business Cases also serve as a compelling argument to induce angel investors to fund ventures. Read more about Writing a Compelling Business Case[…]

Need to Write a Business Requirements Document?

A Business Requirements Document (BRD) is a compilation of all requirements agreed by stakeholders in a project. The Business Requirements Document is the first in a series of documents that are produced during project execution. The key objective of this document is to detail the requirements in a manner that is understood by all stakeholders. Read more about Need to Write a Business Requirements Document?[…]

How to Write an Executive Summary

An Executive Summary should detail information in a concise and self-explanatory manner, quickly grab the reader’s attention and provide an understanding of the whole report without the need to peruse the entire report. The Executive Summary is usually written after an entire report is complete by encapsulating the information contained in various sections. Usually the Read more about How to Write an Executive Summary[…]