Documentation System
Streamlines RPA documentation for SMEs and agile teams running RPA projects.
This documentation system is tailored for SMEs and agile teams delivering RPA projects. It embraces agile principles by emphasizing deliverables over paperwork, keeping documentation lightweight, relevant, and actionable. By prioritizing clarity, outcomes, and momentum over volume, it ensures documents truly guide decisions and implementation.
See “Notion Workspace” for implementation details.
What documents are typically used today?
These are the industry-standard documents for a typical RPA project. While other documents exist, they are minor and fall outside the scope of this discussion.
Project Plan
Roadmap of goals, scope, timeline, tasks, resources, and deliverables.
Project Manager (PM)
Process Definition Document (PDD)
Business requirements, as-is process, and to-be process.
Business Analyst (BA)
Solution Design Document (SDD)
Technical architecture of the automation solution.
Solution Architect (SA)
Design Specification Document (DSD)
Detailed documentation of the RPA code.
RPA Developer
User Guide
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Test artifacts (UAT/UT/SIT), meeting minutes, etc.
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Why do traditional documents fall short for SMEs?
Project plans change frequently; long PDF plans distract and add little value.
Early requirements rarely reach 100% certainty; many issues surface only during implementation and testing.
Traditional design docs are over‑detailed pre‑build; designs become obsolete as client ideas evolve, wasting effort.
SME teams are lean (often 1–2 developers) covering the full lifecycle — heavy documentation is impractical.
Documents are too often produced to satisfy a framework, not a purpose; they’re unused because they don’t serve client needs.
What principles guide this approach?
Creating more documents doesn’t automatically add value to a project. Its real purpose is to spark meaningful discussion, align stakeholders, and provide a clear blueprint for development.
Write only the necessary documents
Write at the right time — early docs age fast as requirements change
Keep it lightweight but sufficient (“good enough”)
Focus on delivery and current goals, not perfection up front
Don’t let documentation slow or block development
How do living documents help?
By ensuring decisions, designs, and implementation details stay current and reliable, this approach prevents drift, reduces confusion, and supports smoother collaboration from planning through delivery.
Highly readable, concise, rigorously structured with bullet points
Modular design; modules can be grouped for PDF download
Accurate and continuously updated as the project evolves
Simple to develop and maintain with reusable templates
What does the new framework include?
While reducing the manpower and time required, this approach also keeps information current, minimizes rework, and ensures documentation actively supports delivery rather than slowing it down.
Project Plan
Embedded in Notion as pages, databases, and views.
Project Manager (PM)
RPA Developer
As‑Is Process (AIP)
High‑level facts and a brief process map; detailed steps live in the client’s SOP. Replaced PDD.
RPA Developer
To‑Be Process (TBP)
High‑level design with functional/non‑functional goals; minimal low‑level detail to keep developer flexibility. Replaced PDD + SDD.
RPA Developer
Operations Manual (OM)
One consolidated standalone doc combining DSD, User Guide, and Maintenance Guide.
RPA Developer
Source Code
Concise, well‑commented, clearly structured code to reduce reliance on DSD.
RPA Developer
Test artifacts (UAT/UT/SIT), meeting minutes, etc.
Integrated into Notion as living documents.
RPA Developer
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