How to Document Your System’s Architecture Key points for documenting your architecture thoroughly Documenting your business system’s B2B architecture is highly beneficial for everyone involved in your business, both at the present and in the future. Architecture documentation helps employees and stakeholders understand how and why your system was developed and is set up the way that it is. It can help your future developers further enhance your system and current employees easily understand and work with the system. Including thorough and pertinent information is the key to having a useful architecture document. Below are some of the main aspects to include in your technical architecture documentation. Purpose As mentioned in part one, without a specific purpose in mind, architecture documentation can be pointless. You need to have a reason for creating such in-depth and thorough documentation. Your main purpose could be to explain why your system is set up the way it is. It could also help future developers easily and quickly understand how your system is set up and the best ways to work with it. Clearly stating the purpose of your document helps whoever is viewing it quickly decide whether it will be useful to them. Detailed Annotations of Systems Your architecture documentation needs to include detailed notes and explanations for your system and its various components including databases, user interfaces, and other various associated technologies. If you have any diagrams that help show how your databases or interfaces work, be sure to include notes that help explain the reasoning and why they are laid out the way that they are. The notes should be clear, easy to understand, and thorough but also concise. The notes should be written for someone who is already fairly familiar with your systems, which means you don’t have to try to explain everything in depth. Specifications for Workflow Processes and Network Infrastructure Your architecture documentation especially needs to include detailed specifications for your systems and business processes. It needs to say what development languages are approved for each system and what operating systems will work with your systems. You also need to include all specifications that pertain to your network and hardware infrastructure including memory and processing requirements. Detailed Planning for System integration Another key section to incorporate into your architecture documentation file is the planning for integration points. The integration points between your eCommerce, ERP, CRM, and other business systems that have already been established or are planned for the future need to be included. This will help developers understand how your systems have been or should be integrated with one another. You also need to add any specifications for specific fields or entities that are or will be shared within or between the systems. Clarity Can Help At Clarity, we understand the importance of having thorough architecture documentation. Our team of experts has helped numerous clients with the documentation phase of their projects to ensure that they document all of the information and specifications that they may need in the future. We want to ensure that you and your employees comprehend your system, how to operate, and how to get the most out of your investment. To find out more about architecture documentation or to get some examples of documentation, call or click to contact us today!