Product Documentation | ServiceNow (2024)

FAQs

What is a product documentation? ›

Product documentation is a type of technical documentation that explains almost everything there is to know about a product or piece of software. The goal of product documentation is to enable users to get maximum use and value out of the product in question.

Production documents such as batch records, specifications, test instructions, methodology descriptions and technical documents like system documentation, room books, maintenance and calibration instructions, and much more need to be prepared and administered.

Documentation can relate to two different types: products and processes. Product documentation describes the product under development and provides guidelines on how to execute actions with it. Process documentation, on the other hand, relates to all the material created during development.

Usually written by technical writers or product designers, its purpose is to inform users and help them solve any problems pertaining to the product. Installation Manual: a manual written that describes the installation of either a hardware or software product.

It's a way to provide relevant information on a particular product, along with things like release notes, guides, and more. Good product documentation can reduce customer support team burden, encourage self-help among customers, and help you scale your business.

Design documentation is the process of gathering key documents and material related to a team's product design process in one place (often dubbed “single source of truth”). This can include anything, from feature outlines to meeting minutes and persona profiles to finished design documents.

Keep in mind that documentation can take many forms. Observation notes: These are short, objective, factual notes about what you hear and see. Include direct quotations of language and descriptions of actions, gestures, facial expressions, and creations.

A documentation development life cycle is a systematic way of developing technical documentation and continuing to do so in a cyclic order. It consists of five or six key areas: Requirements and analysis. Design. Develop the content.

Product management documents are primarily focused on the product being developed and its features, while project management documents are focused on the process of managing the project to completion.

What is product documentation testing? ›

Documentation testing is part of the non-functional testing of a product. It may be a type of black-box testing that ensures that documentation about how to use the system matches with what the system does, providing proof that system changes and improvements have been documented.

Specifically, this responsibility often lies with the Product Manager or a designated Product Documentation Specialist. Here's why: Deep Understanding: The product team has an in-depth understanding of the product's features, functionalities, and user personas.

Product managers create the documentation of every possible catalyst that would lead up to the user using a feature of the application. We could consider it a user journey on a microscopic level.

A product description document, or product requirements sheet, is a document that outlines the scope of a product in concrete terms, such as the product's features, design, and interface. It's a method for taking an abstract idea and describing it in grounded detail.