TVET PROGRAM TITLE: Accounts and Budget Support Level –III

MODULE TITLE: Designing and Producing Business Documents

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this module the trainer will be able to
LO1: Select and prepare resources
LO2: Design document
LO3: Produce document
LO4: Finalize document

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
LO1 Select and prepare resources............................................................................................... 3
1.1 Explain the different resources required to produce high quality and attractive documents?
..................................................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Describe different types of technology available for inputting, formatting and editing text,
and their main features? .............................................................................................................. 3
1.3 What are the benefits of agreeing the purpose, content, style, and deadlines for the
production of documents? ........................................................................................................... 5
1.4 Describe the ways of integrating and laying out text and non-text? ..................................... 6
1.5 Explain why you would store documents safely and securely. Give examples of how you
would do this? ............................................................................................................................. 6
1.6 What is the purpose of confidentiality and data protection when preparing documents? ..... 7
LO2: Design document .............................................................................................................. 15
2.1 How to Write a Design Document ...................................................................................... 15
2.2 What goes into a design document? .................................................................................... 15
2.3 What doesn't go into a design document? ........................................................................... 16
2.4 The Importance of Design Documents................................................................................ 17
2.5 Definition and importance of the Software Design Document ........................................... 19
2.6 The importance of the solution design document ............................................................... 20
2.7 Document layout analysis ................................................................................................... 22
LO3: Produce document ......................................................................................................... 28
3.1 What is Document? ............................................................................................................. 28
3.2 types of documents that may be produced for the business environment and explain
different styles that can be used?............................................................................................... 29
3.3 What is the purpose and benefits of producing high quality and attractive documents? .... 30
LO4: Finalize document ............................................................................................................. 31
4.1 Storing a Document ............................................................................................................. 31
4.2 The Best Way to Name Your Files ..................................................................................... 32
4.4 Explain the purpose and benefits of meeting deadlines ...................................................... 35

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 LO1. Select and prepare resources
1.1 Explain the different resources required to produce high quality and
attractive documents?
Resources you might need to produce high quality and attractive document are
For Production
1. A high quality photocopier and photocopier user so that you get a neat and clear print
2. A high quality printer for quality print outs
3. Scanner, so that you are able to scan documents in their original form.
4. Computer to process and operate all the above machines
5. High quality software i.e. Microsoft Word for word processing
6. A capable or qualified typist to produce the document so that the document is prepared in the
required format and layout
7. Probably a cover or binding for that neat and finished look
For Quality
1. Pictures to make documents look attractive and more friendly
2. Legible Font for everyone to read without any difficulty
3. Decent Font Size so that it is readable by everyone
4. Simple Layout for the neat and agreeable look.
In what ways can you use different resources to produce high quality and attractive
documents?
By using high quality papers, quality laser jet printers and good editing softwares, a high quality
and attractive document can be produced.

1.2 Describe different types of technology available for inputting, formatting

and editing text, and their main features?
The different technologies available for inputting, formatting and editing text are:
 Computer with monitor, keyboard and mouse or a Laptop
 Printer, scanner
 Word processing software

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A normal or standard way of inputting text into a computer (or in olden days was a typewriter) is
through a keyboard. It can be a wireless or wired keyboard or a touch-pad depending on the
device you are using. In a keyboard, the user presses the specific key for each character that
needs input and this is transferred on to the word processing software that is available, installed
or being used on the device. Usually it is the Microsoft word application that is normally used for
word processing in most organizations.
Another form of inputting text is through a scanner. Scanner can scan as JPEG or PDF,
depending on the needs. Also scanned documents can be converted to word and changes made,
in some cases. There are software‟s available to achieve this.
Technology available for inputting text:
Keyboards (and mouse) are for manual entry of text. Can be slow and/or error prone depending
on skill of keyboard operator. These are universally available and are usually supplied with a PC.
Documents are scanned using a scanner and then can be converted to text using optical character
recognition software. The accuracy of the conversion depends on the quality of the system.
Original document needs to be very clear and in a suitable font. Not all systems can cope with
graphics on original.
Technology available for formatting and editing text:
The simplest text editor available is the notepad. It can only be used for basic editing. you cannot
go for too many fashionable fonts or formats or insert characters. This is basically used for
editing and correction and it does not occupy too much space in memory as its size is too small
compared to other word processors.
When you need to go for fashionable styles and layouts, the best Word Processor to use will be
Microsoft Word. It has a variety of i built features that allow for higher levels of editing,
correction and text enhancement. It has innumerable choice of fonts, layouts, templates,
functions, colors, etc available. Due to these advantages, the size of the file is relatively large
when compared to notepad or word pad as all these formatting details are saved along with the
characters.
Other software (spreadsheet, database applications) are used for sorting of text and other data.
These are also used for statistical and analytical purposes.

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1.3 What are the benefits of agreeing the purpose, content, style, and
deadlines for the production of documents?
All documents
 are written to a specific audience;
 have a consistent message
 should have information in the document that is easy to access, clear, accurate, and
readable;
 Actually reach the intended audience.
 Should reach the intended audience on time
When you write documents or prepare documents, there always has to be a purpose. There also
has to be a certain layout or style for the document depending on the purpose, there will be
deadlines too for the document. So all these aspects have to be taken into account and agreed
with your manager or the organization or the team, whichever is the policy and procedure. This
will decide if the document will be an exact replica of what is required for the organization and
will help you create one with no errors and one that is consistent with the requirements of
audience you reach. So by planning all these well ahead, you finish preparing the document on
time with minimal waste of time and errors.
Describe ways of organizing content needed for documents?
Before you start work on a document you need to find out
 How the document is to be presented
 The information that is to be included.
 Who the document is for
 How long the document can be
 Purpose of the document
 What formats will be necessary
 Work out a rough draft
 Choose the correct language (formal / informal)
All the information needed to prepare the document should be stored safely with clear file
names, a list or database of resources. How the finished document is presented and organised
will depend on what the document is to be used for, the format and the content. So this must be

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agreed with the originator and updated regularly to make sure the finished product is fit for
purpose. Sub-headings are useful so that a particular point of information is easy to find.

1.4 Describe the ways of integrating and laying out text and non-text?
Text and non - text can be integrated easily with Microsoft Office Word. Microsoft office word
enables you to insert pictures, graphs, clip art and wrap text around and it helps you to work
around with its different features to get that consistent format. There are a variety of different
features that can be used too. Also there are various other office applications that help with
integrating and laying out text and non-text, for example excel and PowerPoint, help with
integrating text and non-text in spreadsheets and slides. Whichever application is used, the
formatting and other processes have to be done, bearing in mind how you need the output
document to look like.
How would you check completed documents for accuracy, such as spelling and grammar,
punctuation, correctness? Why would you do this?
Most word processors have spell checkers. So as you type anything into a computer it will
constantly be spell checking it. Spell checkers are not totally accurate and also if you type a
different word instead of the one required, spell checker will not identify it. You will need a
dictionary. The spell checker will not have all the words, so you will always have to need to add
new words when you need them in the dictionary. Also words and names that you repeatedly use
but not in the dictionary can be added to prevent spell checking them always. After spell check is
complete, it is good to do a grammar check too although the grammar checkers are not that good
and will not pick out all the grammatical errors. So it is best to read the document yourself once
or twice even after all these checks are done and if you can, it is good to get it read by another
experienced person, because we always do not see all the errors in our own written document.
Accuracy and correctness are checked as documents are an image of the organisation and they
have to be of high standard. It also helps the reader to easily understand what you are trying to
explain or present.

1.5 Explain why you would store documents safely and securely. Give
examples of how you would do this?
Important documents whether minor or major have to be stored securely and safely following the
organizations policies and procedures. It can be either digital storage or physical storage
depending on needs and taking into account its confidential nature. Digital storage can be the

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organization‟s server, drive or flash drives which are all secure. Physical storage can be filing
cabinets. Either way they are stored for future references and hence are important. One has to
also abide by the Data Protection Act.
Files and records should be stored to comply with the regulations to ensure the safety of said
documentation/data and is vital for a business to run smoothly. Information must be securely
stored so it can not be disclosed to third parties without the relative permissions. It is important
because any data that is not secure can be spread all over the internet. Also make sure you save
your work and secure it properly.
Also you should always, save the changes to the document, drawing or spread sheet you are
working on as often as possible- in the event of a power cut or computer crash.
Most businesses rely on electronic data these days and hence it is best to have a good backup
solution. Our organization does back up data every night to its server and possible to external
media wherever necessary to avoid loss of data under unavoidable crashes.

1.6 What is the purpose of confidentiality and data protection when preparing
documents?
The release of personal information can lead to serious consequences. There is probably no more
important aspect of any business than data protection and confidentiality. It helps save the
company, its values, and trust from customers.
What is the purpose and benefits of meeting deadlines?
It's important to meet deadlines because it saves time, money, and resources and we always want
to be ahead of our competitors.
The purpose and benefits of meeting deadlines are you save on the financial things like cutting
costs, and saves you precious time. If deadlines aren't met, you spend more money on the work
that is pending completion and it affects the overall turnover thereby affecting your budget
drastically.
Not meeting deadline indirectly affects various other inter-related departments too. Examples can
be the finance department, the payroll department and the accounts department, and for sure all
other departments that are connected. It then affects the overall income or profit for the
organization, which in turn will have an effect on employee salaries, pay rise and bonuses.
Describe different formats in which text may be presented

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The different formats in which text may be presented are they are font typefaces, headings, font
size, effects (bold, italics, underline, etc.), colors etc. We can format the text in paragraphs,
tables and columns. We can add bullets or numbers, headers and footers.
Files can be created in applications in a number of standard formats. You can tell which format is
being used by looking at the last part of the full file name, known as the file name extension. For
example, the filename dogs.bmp has the filename extension .bmp, which tells us that this is an
image file stored in bitmap format.
• Text files (.txt) – also known as ASCII files, these are created by text editors and simply
contain basic characters in the ASCII character set. You can also save a word processed
document in text format, but you will lose all the character formatting and any special characters
that you have used. They are used to produce very simple text files for technical use. The
simplest text editors, such as Microsoft® Notepad, allow you to write and save text files.
• Rich text files (.rtf) – are produced by word processors and preserve a certain amount of
character formatting, such as colours and fonts. They can usually be exchanged between
applications from different software companies.
• Word processed files – use different formats depending on which application has been used.
Microsoft® Word® files use the filename extensions .doc or .docx. They are not always
compatible with other word processing applications. Used to produce letters, reports, simple
publications and labels, Word processors are the most widely used software packages.
• HTML files – text files that contain the programming code for web pages. They are saved with
the filename extension .htm or .html, which tells a browser that they can be interpreted as web
pages.
• Plain text emails and text messages – use their own file formats, but they are based on simple
text files. Used to create, send, receive, store and organise emails and text messages email client
software – such as Outlook, which communicates with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and
handles all the emails for you. Webmail software such as Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo Mail, which
is provided by an online provider and which you can only access online
Explain the purpose and benefits of producing high quality and attractive documents
The purpose and benefits of producing high quality and attractive documents is to promote a
good image of our organization. A poor presented document may reflect that we don‟t care about
our customers/colleagues/managers.

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Documents have to be produce to a high standard, with a simple and clear format, easy to
understand and well presented.
Quality improves customer satisfaction, improve profitability, support improvement and
innovation, help to identify and manage risk and ensure corporate care and responsibility.
Describe the types of resources available for producing high quality and attractive
documents
Resources you might need to produce high quality and attractive document are:
 Good software.
 A good quality scanner.
 A good quality printer.
 A computer.
 Good quality paper.
Outline ways of using different resources to produce documents
The ways I can use different resources to produce documents are:
-Using good software for high quality word processing that can support all popular formats and
that is versatile for document creation. Most software will help us to create attractive documents
by having a choice of fonts, page layout etc.
- Using a good scan that can copy originals. If you have a quality scanner you can create
electronic images and printed copies that look as good as the original picture or document.
- Using a good quality printer that can create high resolution documents an neat prints.
- Using good quality paper for a nice finish.
To make the documents more attractive and more reader friendly we can use pictures and a clear
font. We can present lists using numbers, letters or bullets. Structure the information into topics,
with headings and subheadings for sections.
We can use tables to display information laid out in two dimensions.
Describe different types of technology available for inputting, formatting and editing text,
and their main features
The different types of technology available for inputting, formatting and editing text are:
A computer with which you interact through a user interface. This consist of a visual display on
the screen, which you control using a key board and a mouse and other device. Some user
interfaces incorporate sound as well. Most interfaces take input from the user via a keyboard or

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mouse.
Specialist input devices can analyse sound and accept speech instead. Voice recognition input
devices are particularly helpful for visually impaired users and also for those who have
difficulties with movement and are unable to control a mouse or keyboard.
We can use scanners to transfer documents into the computer and transform this document to
other text formants for example a PDF document can be converted into a Word document and
vice versa.
Manufacturers of software often develop suites of applications. An integrated package provides
all the common office tools, for example Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint etc, wrapped up into
one application.
Files can be created in applications in a number of standard formats such as: Text files (.txt),
Rich text files (.rtf), Word processed files, HTML files Etc.
Features and design varied between manufacturers and models but there are some common ones
that we can find. Word processing typically implies the presence of text manipulation functions
that extend beyond a basic ability to enter and change text, such as automatic generation of:
• batch mailings using a form letter template and an address database (also called mail merging);
• indices of keywords and their page numbers;
• tables of contents with section titles and their page numbers;
• tables of figures with caption titles and their page numbers;
• cross-referencing with section or page numbers;
• footnote numbering;
• new versions of a document using variables (e.g. model numbers, product names, etc.)
Other word processing functions include spell checking (actually checks against wordlists),
"grammar checking" (checks for what seem to be simple grammar errors), and a "thesaurus"
function (finds words with similar or opposite meanings). Other common features include
collaborative editing, comments and annotations, support for images and diagrams and internal
cross-referencing.
Explain the benefits of agreeing the purpose, content, style, and deadlines for producing
documents
The audience of a document is the group of people for whom it was written. Documents should
be designed to meet the needs of the expected audience.

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The purpose of a document can be to:
• Inform – letters, memos, emails, texts, invoices, agendas, newsletters, user guides, illustrations,
charts and diagrams all provide information for the audience.
• Query (i.e. to ask questions) – order forms, surveys and questionnaires capture information
from the audience.
• Advertise – letters, emails, leaflets, posters and web pages can be used to promote goods and
services.
• Record – letters, emails, news items, minutes and reports can all give an account of something
that has happened.
A document can only communicate information if it is written and presented in a way that makes
sense to the reader. You should ask „Will my audience understand what I am trying to tell them?‟
If we don‟t establish and agree on purpose, style, content quality standards and deadlines, It will
be pointless to produce a document because we will waste our time and fail and we will
duplicate work by having to produce another document again.
Outline different ways of organizing content needed for documents
Before we start work in a document we need to think:
• Is the document intended for one individual, for a group of people or for the public in general?
• Is it written for friends or for a business audience?
• Is it written for other members of the same organization, e.g. internal staff, or for people
external to the organization, like customers?
And with this is mind we should plan:
• The information that is to be included.
• Is it written for friends or for a business audience?.
• Purpose of the document.
• How the document is to be presented.
• How long the document can be.
• Is it written for other members of the same organization, e.g. internal staff, or for people
external to the organization, like customers?.
• The resources I need to complete the job.
All the information needed to prepare the document should be stored safely with clear file
names, a list or database of resources. How the finished document is presented and organized

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will depend on what the document is to be used for, the format and the content. So this must be
agreed with the originator and updated regularly to make sure the finished product is fit for
purpose. Sub-headings are useful so that a particular point of information is easy to find.
Outline ways of integrating and laying out text and non-text
Text and non - text can be integrated easily with Microsoft Office Word. Microsoft office word
enables you to insert pictures, graphs, clip art and wrap text around and it helps you to work
around with its different features to get that consistent format. There are a variety of different
features that can be used too. Also there are various other office applications that help with
integrating and laying out text and non-text, for example excel and PowerPoint, help with
integrating text and non-text in spreadsheets and slides. Which ever application is used, the
formatting and other processes have to be done, bearing in mind how you need the output
document to look like.
There are many ways of laying out a document, using columns, graphics, blocks of text,
headings, background colors, images and white space.
Many organizations use a logo on all their printed materials and their documents often have a
very specific style. This will be achieved by always using the same fonts, font sizes, text and
page colors and page layout. This is known as the house (or corporate) style of the organization.
Know the resources available to design and produce documents and how to use them
1. Types of resources needed to design and produce high quality and attractive documents are:
 High quality photocopier/printer
 High quality computer software
 Computer
 High quality paper
2. The purpose of using different types of resources to design and produce high quality at
attractive documents is to promote a positive image of the organization and yourself to your
colleagues. By creating high quality and attractive documents, you are showing the reader that
you take every aspect of your work into consideration and it will make people see that you put
every effort into making your work a high standard. If work produced was not high quality or
attractive, people may think that you are not serious about what your organization is offering and
you aren‟t really trying to bring in more custom. When things are well presented, people feel it

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is easier to read through or look over. If the quality is bad then people will not be able to read
what is in the document and might not pay attention to it.
3. Different types of technology available for inputting, formatting and editing text are:
 Computer (with monitor & keyboard or a laptop)
 Printer, scanner
 Computer software – Microsoft word, notepad.
Computers are the quickest way of inputting, formatting and editing text when using the correct
software for what you need. Microsoft word is generally the most used software as it is
compatible with most computers. Microsoft word has a variety of built in features that allow for
higher levels of editing, and formatting. You can change and edit fonts, sizes, layouts, templates,
and colors. For simpler editing, Notepad and or WordPad can be used. Pad files are generally
quite small compared to other word processors.
Another way to input text is through a scanner through a JPEG or PDF. Using character
recognition software, you can convert scanned documents into word documents and make
changes as necessary. To do this however, the system you are operating and the document itself
need to be a high quality for the software to read the scanned document.
Understand the purpose and value of following procedures when designing and producing
documents
1. It is important to agree the purpose, content, style and deadlines for the design and production
of documents so that everyone is clear on what is expected and the document outcome is fit for
purpose. The benefit of agreeing the purpose, content, style and deadline is so that the
information reaches the intended audience in the best possible way suited to them. You can also
save time if you have a clear idea of what is expected from you and you will avoid any
misunderstandings.
2. Ways that you can research content needed for documents could be through:
 Company files or handbooks
 Colleagues
 Internet
 Organization house systems (reports/data etc.)
You can organize the content and research for documents by collating similar information into
clear folders before you start to put it all together with clear headings so you know where to find

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information when you need it. You should also make sure you know the purpose of the
document so you can make sure that the style of the document is appropriate (e.g. formal/ non-
formal, target audience). By knowing these you can create a rough draft and from there you can
show the originator of the document to make sure that you are covering all the agreed areas and
it is fit for purpose.
3. A simple way of integrating and laying out text and non-text is to use a word processor such as
Microsoft Office Word. Microsoft Word enables you to input text and images such as graphs,
clip art and other images. You can „wrap‟ text around the images making the layout of the
document easy to read. You can also change the layout of the page by adding columns or using a
built in template. Other Microsoft Office publications such as Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher
also have similar features to integrate and lay out text and non-text.
4. The purpose of checking finished documents for accuracy is to make sure that what you have
written is understandable for the audience. It also gives a positive image of the organisation if the
documents that are produced are of a high standard and quality. By making sure the document is
accurate in terms of spelling, grammar and punctuation you will avoid misunderstandings if a
word is spelt wrong or incorrect punctuation is used.
Ways that you can check finished documents for accuracy are:
 Spell & Grammar check
 Proof reading
 Asking a colleague to proof read
 Make sure the facts you have included are correct
5. Storing documents safely and securely will enable sureness that sensitive information will not
be disclosed to unauthorized people. Storing documents safely complies with the data protection
act and ensures information is not disclosed to third parties who have not received permission.
Ways that you can safely store documents are:
 Filing cabinets that are lockable (for hard copies of files)
 Digitally filing documents on a computer (protected with passwords)
 Back up copy of digital files (back up should be carried out regularly in case there are
any losses or power cuts when documents are opened.)
6. The purpose of confidentiality and data protection when preparing documents is to protect a
persons‟ privacy and to also comply with legal regulations. By making sure you are complying

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with the rules, you can earn peoples trust with their personal data and also you are giving the
organization a good reputation. If personal data is disclosed, it could lead to serious
consequences.
7. The purpose of meeting deadlines is so that you can save time and resources and doesn‟t hold
up others‟ work. The benefit of meeting deadlines is that it prevents any unnecessary delays and
keeps the work task running smoothly so that it can be completed on time. When you do not
meet a deadline it can affect other department‟s deadlines if part of your work relates to some of
theirs.

LO2. Design document

2.1 How to Write a Design Document
Overview
 Be sure to read through this entire page. It's all relevant
 Each design document is worth 40% of the project. While it will likely take less than
40% of the time you spend on the project, you should take it very seriously.
 We will grade your designs harshly. The design is essentially the most important part of
the project. Having a good project design can literally cut your total coding time by a
factor of 10.
 Design documents should be around 2,000 to 4,000 words long. If it's longer than 5,000
words, we won't read it. So keep short and to the point
 Design documents will be submitted online, in PDF, HTML, or text format. We
encourage you to use your favorite word processor to make your design document, but
you must convert it to PDF or text when you're done. We'll provide basic directions on
how to do that.
 Here's a sample project and a sample design for it. The sample project is only a fraction
of the length of your projects, though.

2.2 What goes into a design document?

A design document is a complete high-level solution to the problem presented. It should be
detailed enough that somebody who already understands the problem could go out and code the
project without having to make any significant decisions. Further, if this somebody happens to be

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an experienced coder, they should be able to use the design document to code the solution in a
few hours (not necessarily including debugging).
So what actually goes in?
 A high-level description of your solution, including design decisions and data structures
 Declarations for all new classes, procedures, and global/class variables
 Descriptions of all new procedures (unless you can tell exactly what it does from the
name), including the purpose of the procedure, and an explanation of how it works and/or
pseudo code
For example, this is the pseudo code I would write for the existing Condition::Wait:
Your pseudo code has to be precise. For instance, in describing your solution for the
Communicator class, it is not enough to say
Also, another important thing to remember is that a design document needs to include the
correctness invariants and testing strategy. The testing strategy includes a clear plan of the
testing methodology and may include a description of test cases that will be used to test
correctness invariants. Focus on the testing strategy. If you want, you may itemize things that
will need testing.

2.3 What doesn't go into a design document?

Keep in mind that your TA understands the project very well. Do not restate the problem in your
design document. Your TA is far more interested in your solution than in knowing that you
understood the problem.
Your design document should contain very little actual code, if any at all. Include pseudo code
for all complex procedures, but do not include Java code.
The purpose of pseudo code is to avoid all the annoying aspects of programming languages that
make code both harder to write and harder to read. The purpose of pseudo code is not to be
imprecise about how you solve a problem. Comments are welcome, but ASSERT and DEBUG
statements, for example, do not belong in pseudo code.
Remember that we have to read your design documents. If you don't think we want to see it,
don't put it in!
How do I submit a design document?
Place your design in a file called projN-initial-design. Where N is the project number, for project
1, your design document should be called project.

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 Design and Produce Business Documents (Workplace Technology)
This program enhances the skills and knowledge required to design and produce various business
documents and publications. It includes following advance application of Micro soft word and
Microsoft Excel skills in day to day Workplace applications.
-Design and produce word processed documents using relevant Occupational Health and Safety
practices, manuals and on-line help to solve operational problems, create, save, edit, format and
print a word processed document, spell check, proper design and layout, borders, indentation,
page breaks, appropriate fonts and formats, mail merge, headers and footers, create and print a
simple table and import a spreadsheet file
-Design and produce a spreadsheet using relevant Occupational Health and Safety practices,
manuals and on-line help to solve operational problems, good design, layout and documentation
to meet required outcomes, simple formulae and functions including SUM, AVERAGE, MAX,
MIN; efficient linking between worksheets, format and print a spreadsheet document according
to specified criteria; Construct and print charts using spreadsheet data, link and embed into a
word processing document
-Design and create a simple PowerPoint presentation using relevant Occupational Health and
Safety practices, manuals and on-line help to solve operational problems, slide sorter, promoting
and demoting points, graphics including charts, simple transitions and animations, design
template, viewing the slide show and printing handouts

2.4 The Importance of Design Documents

The second phase in the ADDIE process is design. I recommend developing a design document
for review and approval during the design phase of your training projects. Doing so provides an
opportunity to design the training course at a high level, while also reaching agreement with your
client on the overall approach before you dive into development. Securing approval on the
design document will ensure that you are developing what both you and the client envision for
the project.
Most design documents include the following elements:
 Background: The business motivation for the training.
 Scope of the Training: The content included in the training and how long the training course
will be.

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 17

 Benefits: The benefits of the course to the learner and the organization.
 Resources and Assumptions: Resources needed to design and develop the training, including
subject matter experts, source documents, access to software, etc., and any necessary
assumptions regarding technology or timing issues.
 Target Audience(s): The different learner groups, including the role and experience level with
the subject matter for each.
 Approach: How the content is going to be delivered: as an instructor-led course, e-learning, self-
study, etc.
 Level(s) of Interactivity: How the course will be designed (linear, case-based, interactive
exercises, quizzes/assessments, etc.).
 Mockup: A quick mockup of the look and feel of the course.
 Detailed Outline: A more detailed outline of the content, including learning objectives, the
length of each section/module, key content points, how the content will be delivered, and how
the learner will be assessed.
Although creating a solid design document can be time consuming, the effort is well worth it. If
you and your client can secure agreement at the design phase, there should be no surprises when
you begin developing draft versions of the actual course.
Why Is Document Design Important?
Document design is the field concerned with creating texts that is books, pamphlets, posters and
others that integrate words and pictures in ways that help people to achieve their specific goals
for using texts at home, school, or work.
"Why Is Document Design Important"
How to Import a Word Document into In Design
1. Open an existing document or create a new one. 2. Click the "File" menu and choose
"Place. 3. Choose "Replace Selected Item" to replace the contents of
Why is Documentation Important?
The reason why documentation is important, especially in a medical setting, is because
if it was not written it was not done. Documentation provides a written account of
activities
Why is it important to be detailed when documenting your design?
Just try to detail everything, don't ask questions.

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 18

 Why is it important to be detailed when documenting your design?
Detail is important because writing effective
Popular Q&A
Q: What is the important document design principle for word process...
A: Don't know look for yourself.
Q: What are the Principles of Design?
A: The principles of design help you to create pleasing artwork. Included are balance,
gradation, repetition, contrast, harmony, dominance, and unity.
Q: How to Understand Design Principles
A: Balance Balance in design refers to creating equilibrium using the visual weight and
size of an object, not the actual numerical weight.
Q: What are the principles of good design?
A: There are going to be many different opinions and viewpoints on this, but I usually
defer to Dieter Rams's 10 principles for good design:
Q: What Are Green Building Design Principles?
A: Passive Solar Design Successful passive solar design means being able to naturally
heat and cool a building without dependence on a mechanical system.

2.5 Definition and importance of the Software Design Document

The definition of the process of Software Design Document is similar to the function of
designing a map or structure of any construction, car or other physical element that is
created by the individuals who are expert to develop those things. For example, if we
talk about a building architect designer who is responsible for making the whole
structure of a building according to the requirements and specification of the owner of
the building. The architect creates a documented shape of the building for the owner.
Then the owner examines his specification and expectation in that map, is it fulfilling
the requirements that he expected. Once the owner passed the map the construction
engineer starts work on it. This building structure design on paper ease the situation for
the construction engineers and also saves the time and money of the owner.
Similarly, in the field of software developing the application developing team writes a
software design document before developing the actual software. As the building

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 19

construction field there are several individuals who are responsible for different tasks.
As this in the field of software developing there are the several individuals who
perform their tasks to make a software product. First of all the customer who wants to
get a software tells the requirements of his working process. The expert of software
designer writes the software developing document according to the customer. The
designer creates the whole processing structure on the paper before the customer.
Once, the customer passes the design the software developing document moves on to
the software developing department to be in the actual form. The software developing
team follows the document and develops the software using different tools in which
these developers are expert. This software developing document creates ease for the
developer and also keeps him away from the mistakes and complexity that he could
face during the development.
Now we analyze the importance of the software design document for the software for
different organizations. As the technology is moving on fast the use of computer
systems is making an essential element in human life. If we see in our surrounding we
will examine that there is no any field that is not related to the computer technology.
For example we talk about the banks and airline systems. These two industries are
some of the essential industries in the world. We can see that these fields are depending
on the computer system very much. If we talk about the banking field we can see the
complexity of this field as it has now facilities like online banking, credit card and
ATM services. The software or computer system being used by these banks should be
effective and designed properly to perform well. If the software of such computer
system is not fully examined before actual use then it can create a big problem for the
industry. Similar thinks are with the airline and other industry.
So, it is good to have a software design document process before making the actual
software system. As this is essential for the users who are expecting better from this
software. At the end we can see that Software Design Document is really important and
a big part of the software developing industry.

2.6 The importance of the solution design document

When partnering with a company during the launch or updating of their website, the

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 20

process can be expedited if the company utilizes a Solution Design Document (SDD)
from a tracking implementation standpoint. There are many benefits of using an SDD,
which I will explain later on, and a few foolish excuses not to use it. An SDD can be
used with any analytics tool; however, for the sake of this post, I will be referencing
and using examples from Site Catalyst.
People who are unfamiliar with a Solution Design Document might ask about its
purpose and capabilities. An effective SDD should contain all of the parameters being
considered within the report suite. It does not have to be complicated to be useful; in
fact, if the model is more simplistic, there will be fewer opportunities for error or
miscommunication. Here is a basic Solution Design Document that I have used to help
keep all of the moving pieces for tracking a website housed within one document. I
prefer to use Microsoft Excel to create and maintain the SDD document because the
columns and rows within the Excel program facilitate organization, but other programs
could also be sufficient. To begin, the SDD for Site Catalyst will contain all of the
sprops, evars, events, custom links, and campaign parameters in one column; I would
even recommend adding all of the default parameters that get used like s.pagename.
The other columns in the example provide more detail about what should be collected
when the image request is sent, when an event should be fired, and any useful notes for
the other teams you are collaborating with. The example provided only has five
columns, but do not hesitate to implement your own improvements. Another column
that could be added is for custom variables with full or basic sub relations and traffic
variables with one, five, or twenty correlations.
The beauty of this Solution Design Document is that it allows all parameters to be
displayed together at once, eliminating the need to navigate all of the menus in Site
Catalyst or any alternative analytics tool that is used. There are many benefits of
creating and maintaining this document throughout the life of the website you are
tracking, some of which are:
 Mapping out tracking for site changes
 Everyone involved in tracking the website will know which sprops and evars are
able to be used for future tracking
 Outlines what will be measured/tracked on the site

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 21

  Can be utilized by the team that configures the code for tracking
 Reduce ramp up time on establishment of new tracking/for new members of the
team
 Can easily display information about a specific “evar,” “sprop,” or event
 All of the information is stored within one central document
Before deploying a new website or implementing changes to an existing one and after
all requirements gathering has been finished, an SDD should be used as the drawing
board for how the analytics tool will be configured. Mapping out all of the parameters
will reduce confusion when everything is completed, can help ensure that nothing was
forgotten, ensure the reports are populating with proper data, and conversions are
captured.
Keeping the SDD current with the continuously evolving website will be the biggest
obstacle to overcome. Someone needs to be delegated with the task of maintaining the
document when changes are made and occasionally verifying information from the
document with data from the interface.
Feel free to share if you have used a Solution Design Document before and have your
own tweaks for improvement or success stories!

2.7 Document layout analysis

In computer vision, document layout analysis is the process of identifying and
categorizing the regions of interest in the scanned image of a text document. A reading
system requires the segmentation of text zones from non-textual ones and the
arrangement in their correct reading order. Detection and labeling of the different zones
(or blocks) as text body, illustrations, math symbols, and a table embedded in a
document is called geometric layout analysis. But text zones play different logical
roles inside the document (titles, captions, footnotes, etc.) and this kind of semantic
labeling is the scope of the logical layout analysis.

Document layout analysis is the union of geometric and logical labeling. It is typically
performed before a document image is sent to an OCR engine, but it can be used also
to detect duplicate copies of the same document in large archives, or to index
documents by their structure or pictorial content.

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 22

Popular Q&A
Q: What is the important document design principles for word processing
A: Don't know look for yourself.
Q: What are the Principles of Design?
A: The principles of design help you to create pleasing artwork. Included are balance,
gradation, repetition, contrast, harmony, dominance, and unity.
Q: How to Understand Design Principles
A: Balance Balance in design refers to creating equilibrium using the visual weight and
size of an object, not the actual numerical weight.
Q: What are the principles of good design?
A: There are going to be many different opinions and viewpoints on this, but I usually
defer to Dieter Rams's 10 principles for good design:
Q: What Are Green Building Design Principles?
A: Passive Solar Design Successful passive solar design means being able to naturally
heat and cool a building without dependence on a mechanical system.
Produce Documents in a Business Environment
This unit is about preparing high quality and attractive documents to agreed layouts, formats,
styles to meet agreed deadlines.
Outline different types of documents that may be produced and the different styles that
could be used
A document is information produced in either printed or electronic (on-screen) format. All
documents can be produced using standard applications packages.
We can use different kind of formats:
Standard word documents: Use for the creation of most documents such as letters, memos,
minutes, etc.
Template: it is a sample document that can be completed either by hand or through a software
assistant word processing templates enable the ability to bypass the initial setup and
configuration time necessary to create standardized documents such company response letter.
Most companies use templates now a day as is good way to have a standard document for
everyone to use.
Spreadsheets: We will use Spreadsheet for storing, calculating, filtering, verifying, sorting,
displaying, creating graphic charts etc . Its use is much extended now days to show large amount
of data. We can use spreadsheet electronically or be printed for show.
Slide Show: A slide show is an on-screen presentation of information or ideas presented on
slides. A slide show enforces the ideas, comments, solution or suggestions presented in the slide.
Slide shows are conducted by a presenter using an apparatus, such as a carousel slide projector,

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 23

an overhead projector or in more recent years, a computer running presentation software.
Short documents
Memo
A memo is a short note to someone else in the same organisation. It can be sent by email,
handwritten or printed out and delivered by hand. Memos are usually informal in style, but most
organizations have a set format to ensure that essential information is not missed out, such as
subject, date, sender‟s name and contact details.
Business email message
Emails are widely used for formal business purposes, as well as for informal notes to friends.
Because anything said in an email is legally binding, many organisations insist that business
emails follow the same conventions as business letters. A business email should always end with
a signature.
Letter
A formal letter is a type of correspondence from an organisation to a client or other contact.
Business letters normally have a standard structure and should include business heading, address
of the recipient, date the letter was written, salutation, ending and signature of the sender.
Order form
This will have been designed so that it captures all the information that the business needs:
Agenda
An agenda is a list of items to be discussed at a formal meeting. A typical agenda might have
these items: apologies for absence, minutes of the last meeting, matters arising from the minutes
items for discussion, date of next meeting and any other business.
An agenda should be circulated in good time so that the people attending the meeting have time
to think and read about the issues.
Minutes
The minutes of a meeting are a summary of what was discussed and the decisions made. The
minutes should follow the same structure as the agenda. Someone at the meeting is given the task
of taking the minutes, which means making notes and writing them up.
Extended documents
Article
An article may be written for the staff newsletter. The style of an article falls somewhere
between a report and an essay. Many organisations produce newsletters for their staff or
customers, keeping them up to date with new products and news about the company. Newsletters
can incorporate photos and graphical headings.
Report
A report is any document that is written to explain a project, provide facts or generally convey
information. Internal reports will be used by managers to help them make decisions.
We can use graphical documents such an illustrations, charts, flowcharts, diagrams and
promotional documents ( advertisement, leaflets and web pages ).
Documents can be informal, for example emails to colleagues, or formal. Formal documents are

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 24

used in organizations for important business meetings. They are stored for a long time after the
meetings as evidence of the discussions that took place and the decisions that were made.
Examples of formal documents include agendas and reports
How to Write an Effective Design Document
Day by day, programmers are able to get more done in less time. With today‟s high level
languages, development environments, tools and the “rapid application development” mindset,
both programmers and managers have become accustomed to extremely fast development cycles.
Programmers are now more inclined to jump directly into development, fearing that every hour
they are not writing code will result in an hour of overtime the weekend before the deadline.
The process of designing before coding is becoming outdated. Documenting designs is becoming
even rarer. Many developers have never written a design document and cringe at the idea of
doing so. Many who are required to, typically generate a lot of interaction diagrams and class
diagrams, which don‟t often express the developer‟s thought process during the design phase.
This article will discuss how to do write an effective design document concisely with no special
tools, and without needing to know UML. It will also discuss why a well written design
document is one of the most valuable tools a developer can have when entering a new project.
Why write a design document?
A design document is a way for you to communicate to others what your design decisions are
and why your decisions are good decisions. Don‟t worry if your design is not UML compliant
and don‟t worry if you didn‟t use a special modeling tool to create it. The biggest factor that
determines if your design document is good is whether or not it clearly explains your intentions.
This presents a problem, however. In order to convey design decisions, you have to consider the
audience that you are writing for. A peer developer will understand why a well-crafted class
abstraction is a good design, however your manager will probably not. Because your peer
developers and your manager have different concepts of what makes a design good, there is a
need for two design documents; one for peer developers and one for managers. Each document
serves a different and equally valuable purpose as you begin your project development.
If this seems like too much work, it‟s not. This article will show you how to do this through
documentation reuse.
What makes a good design?
A design will typically be considered good if it fulfills the requirements in a meaningful way. If
any aspect of the design cannot be justified, then it is probably worth reevaluating. Many
programmers try to incorporate design patterns into their work, and they often add unnecessary
complexity. You should be able to list at least one compelling reason, related to the
requirements, for why a design decision was made. That reason must then be documented. If you
can‟t come up with a clear reason for a design decision, then it is probably not adding value.
Diagrams are a great tool for visualizing your design, but they cannot convey the motivation
behind your design decisions. That is why it is so important to let diagrams supplement your
design document, not be your design document.

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 25

In addition, it is also extremely important to document any benefits that result from a design
decision. By doing so, others who read your document will understand what value they can gain.
Likewise, any associated risks must also be documented. More often than not, other
programmers have faced the same risks and may have helpful pointers or solutions that you may
not have thought about. By listing these items, you also get others to think about what the
potential risks could be as well. Teammates will often be able to see potential pitfalls that you
didn‟t see when you created your design. It is much easier to rearrange some boxes in a diagram
than it is to rewrite hundreds of lines of code when an assumption fails or when you hit an
unforeseen snare during coding. A good design document minimizes unexpected complications
by addressing them before the code is written.
Finally, a document will provide you, your manager and your team with a common vocabulary
for talking about the project. A design document can be a powerful tool for a manager because it
gives them a view into the project that they don‟t normally have the technical expertise to see.
By listing the benefits you give your manager tangible items that describe why your design is
sound. By documenting the risks of your design before development, you pass the responsibility
of that risk to your manager, which is where it belongs.
Lastly, the design document is a written contract between you, your manager and your team.
When you document your assumptions, decisions, risks, etc, you give others a chance to say,
“Yes, this is exactly what I expect.” Once your document passes that stage, it becomes a baseline
for limiting changes in project scope. Obviously, requirements are going to change sometimes,
but with a baseline document you have the power to say that no change in scope is due to a
misunderstanding of the requirements.
Writing for a Peer Developer
The goal of a peer developer design document is to make sure that your ideas are valid and that
your approach works with what others are doing. When developers don‟t communicate their
plans, disaster is sure to strike when modules or classes begin to interact. The following items
describe a general guideline for writing this type of document:
Section 1 – State the purpose of your project/sub-system: In this section, write a few
paragraphs that describe what the project or sub-system does. What is the problem it is trying to
solve? Why does it need to exist? Who will use it? By answering these questions, you establish
the scope of your design. If you find it hard to write a few paragraphs in this section, then you
probably don‟t understand the domain as much as you should. If you can‟t fit your description
within a few paragraphs, then perhaps the scope is too large. Use this section as a tool to verify
that the scope of your design is reasonable.
Section 2 – Define the high level entities in your design: High level entities are objects, or
groups of objects, that constitute major constructs of your design. Good examples of entities are
a data access layer, a controller object, a set of business objects, etc… Figure 1 shows an
example of a .

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 26

In this section, explain in a few sentences what each entity does. The descriptions don‟t have to
be verbose, just enough to explain what each block‟s purpose is. Be sure to describe your
reasoning for defining the entities in your diagram and what their roles are.
Section 3 – For each entity, define the low level design: This section is where your objects and
object relationships are defined. For each object (or set of objects) define the following:
Usage
Describe in a paragraph how the object is used and what function it serves. If an object will
interface with an external object or system, it is a good idea to show the interface for the object.
Most importantly, you must again describe your thought process for defining the object as you
did. List the benefits and risks. If an object provides an encapsulation, describe in a sentence why
the encapsulation adds value. Use your descriptions to give meaning to the diagrams. They don‟t
have to be verbose, just enough to get the point across.
Configuration
If your object needs any special configuration or initialization, this is a good place to describe it.
If not, this section can be left out.
Model
Figure 2 shows an example of a to supplement the System Security entity from figure 1. It is not
perfect UML, but has some aspects of UML. Most importantly, it describes the design.
Don‟t worry about perfection in your models, but be sure to describe exactly what is going on in
the diagram. Here, two concrete security objects derive from a base security object, and a
security factory will create one or the other for a client depending on the security model of the
system.
Interaction
This is also a good section for interaction diagrams. An interaction diagram shows how a set of
objects or entities communicate with each other to perform a complex task. Figure 3 shows an
example of an to show how a user might log in. It uses objects from the various entities shown in
figure 1.
Again, this diagram is not perfect UML, but it explains the communication sequence to
accomplish a complex task. Interaction diagrams are most useful when you want to diagram how
an object in your system will communicate with an object in another subsystem. This type of
diagram will let the other developer verify that the interaction is correct.
Section 4 – Benefits, assumptions, and risks/issues: In this section, make a list of 5-6 top
benefits of the design, a list of ALL known risks/issues and a list of ALL assumptions. Some of
this may simply be rehashing what you wrote in a previous section of the document. What‟s
important is getting all of these items into one section so that the reader doesn‟t have to read the
whole document to understand what the benefits, risks and assumptions are.
Never remove anything from this section! As risks become non-risks, document that they are
now non-risks and why they became non-risks. Never erase them from the document. The same
holds true for assumptions. You should be able to look at this section and know instantly what
the current risks are to your design.

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 27

Writing for a Manager
The goal of a design document for your manager is to make sure that your manager understands
what the main entities of the system are, what the benefits are and, most importantly, what the
risks are. The document is your chance to show that you understand the requirements and that
you have come up with a plan to meet those requirements.
If you have written the peer developer document well, then writing the manager‟s document is
simple, because it is just made up of sections 1, 2 and 4. By dividing the peer developer
document up as described previously, the parts which are typically not meaningful to a manager
have been contained in a single section of the document which may be removed.

LO3. Produce document

3.1 What is Document?
1) In general, a document (noun) is a record or the capturing of some event or thing so that the
information will not be lost. Usually, a document is written, but a document can also be made
with pictures and sound. A document usually adheres to some convention based on similar or
previous documents or specified requirements. Examples of documents are sales invoices, wills
and deeds, newspaper issues, individual newspaper stories, oral history recordings, executive
orders, and product specifications.
A document is a form of information . A document can be put into an electronic form and stored
in a computer as one or more file s. often a single document becomes a single file. An entire
document or individual parts may be treated as individual data items. As files or data, a
document may be part of a database . Electronic Document Management ( EDM ) deals with the
management of electronically-stored documents.
When using certain computer application programs such as a word processor , a document is the
unit of saved work. Each document is saved as a uniquely named file.
In the computer industry, documentation is the information provided to a customer or other users
about a product or the process of preparing it.
2) To document (verb) a fact, event, or other thing is to record or annotate it, meaning to put it
into some relatively permanent form so that it can be retrieved later.
The purpose of producing high quality documents, know what resources are available in the
organization / company and how to use them, follow all the policies and procedures to produce
documents and use resources and stay by the specifications.

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 28

3.2 types of documents that may be produced for the business environment
and explain different styles that can be used?
There are many different types of documents that may be produced in a business environment.
These include: fax documents, business cards, memo, agendas, minutes, spreadsheets, analysis
charts, data sheets, letters, slide shows and many more. They all have different purposes and
uses;
Business cards:
These are used to give the customer information on how to contact the company. It can be small
cards.
Fax Document:
Another type of document used in business is a Fax document; These are very useful in business
and are the fastest ways to transmit documents. These are in paper format, either in colour or
black and white.
Agenda:
Agendas tell you what is going to take place. They help people get organized so that they know
exactly what they should do and what is going to happen. These are in paper format when taken
to meetings, and can be distributed electronically.
Memos:
Memos are used for informal communication with an organization and can be in either paper or
electronic format.
Minutes:
These have details of what took place at a meeting. These can be printed off in paper for
meetings and can be distributed electronically.
Spreadsheets:
These can be used for various purposes, from statistical to analytical. These are in electronic
formats, can be managed in same book or as different sheets according to needs.
Analysis charts:
These can be either graphs or diagrams that help to monitor performance statistics. These are
also in electronic format and can be printed off in paper when required.
Data sheets:

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 29

These sheets can be in either word or excel format. These can be used to collate particular data to
be communicated within or out of organizations, or also to monitor statistics and performances.
Letters:
These are documents used for different types of communications in all departments for various
purposes. There are various types of letters, formal, informal, business etc.
Slide shows:
These are PowerPoint documents and are used for demonstration purposes in meetings. These
are in electronic format and can be printed off if need be.
Give examples and explain different formats used for text?
When you save a document you can set the file name and where you want to store the file on
your computer.
You can change the file format as well. When changing the format, it is the design, the layout
or the fonts that changes. It is a totally different format whereas the content remains the same.
Each word processor has its own storage format. Many text files use plain text(.txt), Rich Text
Format (.rtf) as well as Microsoft Word (.doc) and now .docx. But there are facilities to import
and export in Word format.
RTF files can be read by every word processing package and their size is smaller.
PDF is another portable file format that is not editable. However there are a few editable ones
which allow for certain fields which have text boxes that allow inputting data. PDF files can be
converted to word and formatted and then converted back to PDF if necessary. But PDFs are
always used for finished documents that do not require further editing. If you are sending out
documents out to others that do not require or should not be edited, it is best to send it out as
PDF.

3.3 What is the purpose and benefits of producing high quality and attractive
documents?
The documents that you produce for your organization are an image or representation of your
organization. So it automatically creates an impression on the reader about the standards of the
organization and how it values its customers. A good quality document also looks good on the
reader's eyes, and is easy to follow and read.
Good quality documents attract customers and suppliers, thereby increasing the profit for the
organization. It helps with the improvement of various fields and increases creativity in what you

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 30

do, which in turn will attract customers. A neatly produced document will have step by step
explanation or plan or statistics of what is asked for and will help identify, manage and monitor
risks. This will in turn help the organization care and be responsible for their customers. Also,
the quality of your documents is a reflection of you.

LO4. Finalize document

4.1 Storing a Document
You can store and send a document at the same time. You can also just store a document.
File names
Scanned documents are automatically assigned names like “FAX0001” or “FAX0002”.
User Names
You can set this function if necessary to know who and what departments stored documents in
the machine.
Password
You can set this function so as not to send to unspecified people.
1. Place the original, and then specify the scan settings you require.
Specify the “Original Orientation” setting correctly. If you do not, the top/bottom orientation of
the original will not be displayed correctly in the preview.
For details about the setting, see “Setting the Original Orientation”.
2. Press [Store File].
3. Select [Send & Store] or [Store Only].
Select [Send & Store] to send documents after they are stored.
Select [Store Only] to store documents.
4. Set the user name, file name, and password as necessary.
If you are not setting a user name, file name, or password, proceed to step 5.
You cannot change multiple documents at once.
5. Press [OK].
The file name appears to the left of [Store File].
6. If you have selected [Send & Store], specify the receiver.
If you have selected [Store Only], proceed to step 7.
7. Press the [Start] key.

Designing and Producing Business Documents Page 31

  You can change file names and user names.

4.2 The Best Way to Name Your Files

There are two types of files on your computer. The ones you make, and the ones you collect.
You are either making stuff and saving it to your hard drive or you are collecting things like
images, utility bills, PDF‟s, invoices, 3d models to put in your scenes, texture files, etc. You
choose what these files are called and where they are stored. Where they are stored is becoming
less and less of a decision with things like I Cloud and the super-quick Spotlight search. I Cloud
don‟t let you decide where to store files because it keeps apps‟ files sandboxed per program.
Spotlight searches everywhere regardless of where you keep your things saved.
If you become disciplined with file naming, where you put the file almost doesn‟t matter
anymore. I‟m not saying you should just throw everything in one big heap in your Documents
folder, but it‟s starting to get to the point where that is acceptable. And what I‟m about to tell you
will make it so you could do just that if you choose... But please don‟t :) Like I said, I‟ll go over
folder structures in another article. The following 5ish tips are platform agnostic.
6 Basic File Naming Rules of Thumb
1. be descriptive
We no longer live in a world where you can only have a file name that‟s 8 characters long. Yes, I
used computers then. I‟m old. And that‟s really the point of your new file naming system - you
will get old and forget what you named things. The goal here is to come up with a recipe that has
a structure easy enough to follow that you‟ll actually use it. Don‟t make it too complicated, but
include enough information so the names are organized and easy to discern. In other words,
don‟t make names so that you have to decode them. Make them so you can just read them.
I love how David says to assume senility in his article:
Don‟t get cryptic. Pretend future you will be drunk or senile (or both) when looking at these
filenames and make the name easy to understand.
Be descriptive so you can search with normal language to find your files later.
What do you do two years down the road when you need to find a 3d model for your portfolio to
get a new job and the file is named “Study Final Final 5b No Really This Is Final zzzzz.skp”?
How many other files do you have with the word “final” in it? Stop it. That isn‟t descriptive. Use
your big words. It isn‟t a good idea to name your files “Untitled” or “3d Model” or “Research

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Paper” either, even if they are in a folder with a different project name than the others. What
matters are the FILE names when searching later on down the road
Finally
Never use the word “final” in a file name. Ever. Srsly. It seems that architecture students have
this problem the most, but the pros do it too. Maybe it has to do with wanting to be done. We all
know it isn‟t the final version. You know there‟s still something that‟s screwed up. It‟s not final,
and probably never will be. Just Save As… and make a new version of the file.
2. be consistent
Once you develop your own (or steal my) technique, you need to use it. All the time. Every day.
Everywhere, Use project or client names in every file, every time.
3. Use lowercase letters only
This is part of our “consistency” concept. When you look at a folder full of files it just looks
better when you use the same case conventions. And we care how things look, don't we?
4. Don’t use special characters
Letter and numbers are fine of course, but computers don‟t always know what to do with certain
characters and symbols. Stick with the basics and you‟ll be fine. Spaces are ok of course. Even
the internet has learned how to deal with spaces in file names, although%20it%20isn‟t%20pretty.
If you don‟t like or can‟t read that, use underscores or dashes between words like_this or like-
this. Those are much more internet and website friendly. It seems like almost everything ends up
on the web nowadays, so save yourself some time in the future by naming things web-ready
today if you think your work will end up there.
5. Use dates in your file names
Why? Don‟t we already have a modification date for each file? Yes, but having the date at the
beginning of a file name ensures no matter where the file ends up that it is sorted the same way
everywhere.
6. Use version numbers in files you create
To use an analog term, create a paper trail with your digital files. Not to mention this will totally
save your life when the current file you‟re working on gets corrupted and you have to start over.
Oh yeah! You don‟t have to because you have a version that is only 15 minutes old! This doesn‟t
just go for crazy intricate 3d models. This goes for TPS reports too.

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Describe ways of checking finished documents for accuracy – including spelling, grammar
and punctuation – and correctness, and the purpose of doing so
When you have finished creating a document, you should review and check it very thoroughly
before making it public or submitting it for assessment.
Most applications that handle text offer a number of tools for checking the suitability of the
language you have used.
You should have the automatic spelling and grammar checker switched on as a matter of course
when you are using a text-based application.
Even if you are good at spelling you will still make typing errors. Make sure that the spell
checker is set for UK English spellings.
If you use the spellchecker, you will still have to use your own intelligence to decide between the
alternatives offered.
If you have imported a document, or have not been using the automatic checking tools, you can
check a whole document at once.
When a whole document is checked the readability statistics can be displayed, along with other
useful information, such as the number of words in the document You check for accuracy and
correctness because it makes it easier for someone to understand you. When you use correct
grammar, you make it easier for people to understand your ideas. Correct spelling helps people
know what word you are using.
4.3 Explain the purpose of storing documents safely and securely, and ways of
doing so
Any documentation of even minor importance should always be stored safely via, digital storage
or physical storage E.g. filing cabinet as it may be required in the future for other projects, thus
increasing its importance. Plus if it is of a confidential nature the record/s must be kept safe as
not to breech the Data Protection act.
Files and records should be stored to comply with the regulations to ensure the safety of said
documentation/data and is vital for a business to run smoothly. Information must be securely
stored so it can not be disclosed to third parties without the relative permissions. It is important
because any data that is not secure can be spread all over the internet. Also make sure you save
your work and secure it properly.
Also you should always, save the changes to the document, drawing or spread sheet you are

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working on as often as possible- in the event of a power cut or computer crash.
Most businesses which rely on electronic data should have a good backup solution, so that data is
being backed up every night to an external storage media.
Explain the purpose of confidentiality and data protection when preparing Documents
Confidentiality is very important in preparing documents because this involves a lot of private
data, thus in order to protect the users and the owner, confidentiality must be observed. Data
protection is also significant to assure that nobody will be able to get the data and spread it to
anybody else

4.4 Explain the purpose and benefits of meeting deadlines

It is important that you produce your work to the best possible standard in order to meet the
requirements of the person who set you the task. This shows that you are responsible and
trustworthy and that you can be relied upon to get things done. You do not know who else might
be waiting for your work; it could have to be passed on to someone else. This could cause
problems in a business environment and affect your team relationship. Your line manager will
expect you to meet all your deadlines, this could have a detrimental effect on your progress is
you regularly fail at this.

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