Introduction
- Introduce the general issue with which the project deals, e.g. rising cost of health care, environment, … etc.
- Why is it an issue? supporting evidence; government statistics, news, magazine, or journal articles, etc.
- Briefly describe how the project deals with the issue.
Problem Statement
- The specific problem the project is supposed to solve.
- Why was the project conducted? why do we need it?
- Project Impact: potential impact of the project on society locally
and globally:
- Positive impact.
- Possible negative impact, due to misuse or unaccounted for risks.
Project Specifications
- Customer/User requirements, functional and non-functional.
- Technical specifications:
- Derived from and maps to customer requirements.
- Must be specific and testable. The product must meet all specifications.
- Examples: speed, response time, range, accuracy.
System Design
Completely document the project design. Use graphical illustrations as much as you can.
Architecture
- Sub-function identification.
- System architecture and components.
- Hardware vs. software components.
- Functions of each component.
Component Design and Implementation
- Off-the-shelf hardware and software components.
- Custom hardware and software components, and justification for developing custom components.
- Design and implementation of each component, e.g. flow chart, pseudocode.
System Integration
- Interfaces between components (hardware and software).
- Component interaction and related interfaces.
Design Decisions
- Examined design options at both levels: system and components.
- Criteria for choosing the adopted design options.
- Tradeoffs.
Progress
Task Schedule
For each task, whether completed, started, or not started yet, list:
- Owner.
- Description.
- Timespan: when does it start and when is it completed.
- Status: in progress, completed, waiting for another task (specify), delayed (why), … etc.
Completed Tasks
For each completed task, describe:
- How it was performed, and what it involved.
- Difficulties faced, and their resolutions.