[CLUE-Tech] Data models, diagrams, process models documentation

[Dennis J Perkins]

There are a lot of drawbacks.  I write documents but no one else in the 
group bothers.  The fact that we are currently reduced to minimum 
staffing only worsens matters.  PHBs don't understand this, however.

Kevin Cullis wrote:

>Yep, but there are a few drawbacks to NOT documenting: business
>continuity (in other words keeping you job from the power hunger PHBs
>that want to lay off or fire someone) when someone goes out the door,
>lack of system thinking when looking at new ideas or improvements, poor
>communication by those making the decisions, poor memories, 
>
>Drawback to too MUCH documentation?  Waste of effort in keeping up too
>much documentation, lack of "closing the loop" when dealing with issues,
>no value-added reason to keep some info, etc.
>
>I fit somewhere in between too much an no documentation.  Document
>critical info and processes so that eveyone is on board, but keep out
>details that don't affect the issues.
>
>Being smarter is, in my mind, a relative term.  I can ask someone about
>a piece of info, but once that info is "retrieved" it is "what to do
>with the info" that is more important. ;-)
>
>Kevin
>
> On Sat, 2003-08-16 at 10:47, Dennis J Perkins wrote:
>  
>
>>My company practices what some people there call "tribal knowledge".  I 
>>don't know if that is true for the whole company or just tech support.  
>>Don't document.  Keep everything in your head.  There is no policy on 
>>documentation so knowledge is lost whenever someone leaves.  I came from 
>>a company that places great importance on proper documentation and I 
>>find this attitude to be very counterproductive.  It does have the 
>>advantage of making the knowledge holder seem much smarter than everyone 
>>else, but that only benefits that person.
>>
>>Kevin Cullis wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Sean,
>>>
>>>Anything and everything about it.
>>>
>>>>From a perspective of documentation, most organizations do it lousy,
>>>others haven't keep it up as tightly as it should (a friend recently
>>>started a project where the docs of the company in bankruptcy is two
>>>years old).  I'm also eager to find out what best practices, if any,
>>>people follow.  Do they follow certain principles when doing this? Are
>>>they organized to make it easier to follow or update?  Those type of
>>>questions.
>>>
>>>Kevin
>>>
>>>On Sat, 2003-08-16 at 09:48, Sean LeBlanc wrote:
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>On 08-15 21:10, Kevin Cullis wrote:
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>Hey all,
>>>>>
>>>>>Does anyone know of good documentation template sources of data models,
>>>>>diagrams, and process models?  I'm curious to see what others are doing
>>>>>to see if there are any improvements to be had from what I've seen or
>>>>>been working on.
>>>>>     
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>Kevin,
>>>>
>>>>I'm not sure what you are asking for. Are you asking for what others' data
>>>>models/class diagrams/etc look like?
>>>>
>>>>Besides way expensive tools like Rational or PowerDesigner (I think
>>>>PowerDesigner runs to 10K if you get the full suite, 3K for just the
>>>>"DataArchitect" part), I have found ArgoUML (open source) which can do UML.
>>>>There is also a plugin for Eclipse called Omondo which can do UML, too.
>>>>There is also a more slicked-up commercial product that is based on ArgoUML,
>>>>but I can't remember the name right now.
>>>>
>>>>As for the data modeling, if anyone has found something open source/free
>>>>that has even 1/10th the capability of PowerDesigner or ERWin or Oracle
>>>>Designer, I'd like to hear about it...
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
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>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
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