System Design
A Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) or Enterprise Content Management (ECM) project is
usually intended to satisfy many diverse needs. After the main software applications have been selected, it is necessary to define "how"
the proposed system will satisfy the stated requirements. This is the essence of the System Design phase.
The System Design phase
formally begins “implementation” activities and the focus is to conduct the work in an efficient, cost effective way. Those responsible
for the System Design must model the system in sufficient detail to allow the developers to configure and implement the system.
The design may be expressed as words and diagrams in a specification, or may be accomplished with screen shots, models or
prototypes. The important aspect is that there is some permanent representation of the design that includes the following major
components:
- Information representation: object types, indexing, grouping
- Business process representation: in detail e.g. ECR/ECO/ECN process
- Core functions: e.g. revision control, integration, hardcopy, security
- Application specific functions: e.g. forms for data entry, e-signature
- System architecture: e.g. servers, desktop tools, mass storage, network
