Our process is:

1. Agree on goals for the work product. We start by building an outline similar to that on your right.
2. Interview engineers about the code and their process.
3. Examine code.
4. Interview management.
5. Flesh out the outline.

We strive to produce a document valuable to both management and engineering, which examines and evaluates both code and process and ends with concrete recommendations as to how to proceed. The finished document is useful to all current stakeholders and new employee's alike as a guide to product, code-line and engineering procedures. The process of developing the document is one of consensus building and constructive eliciting of concerns.