How Design Documents Enhance Information Product Development Process Quality
http://www.stc.org/ConfProceed/2004/PDFs/0087.pdf

Burroughs, Dia H., Randy Clark, Sylvia McCombs and Tony Washington
STC Proceedings
2004

Abstract:

Panelists from LSI Logic Storage Systems review their company's approach to enhancing process quality by using design documents as process enforcement and project-planning tools for planning the development of information products (IP). Hear how effective planning solves problems that occur during the IP development process and how capturing the planning elements in design documents helps solve role-based problems for developers, editors, and managers. Discuss the many problems design documents help project teams solve: they help developers solidify the IP development task sequence, they help editors define the rhetorical context, and they help managers reduce the cost of rework.