Required Plugins

Superpowers plugin: MUST be active for all work using this skill. Use throughout the entire build pipeline — design decisions, code generation, debugging, quality checks, and any task where it offers enhanced capabilities. If superpowers provides a better way to accomplish something, prefer it over the default approach.

SDLC User & Deployment Skill

Generate a complete User & Deployment documentation suite for software development projects. This skill produces 6 documents that guide end-users, system administrators, and operations teams through using, deploying, and maintaining the software.

When to Use

• Preparing a SaaS product for production deployment and user onboarding
• Creating end-user documentation for franchise owners, staff, and members
• Writing deployment and operations guides for system administrators
• Developing training programs for new user onboarding
• Documenting release notes for version management and stakeholder communication
• Establishing maintenance procedures for ongoing system health
• Creating a project README for developer onboarding and project discovery

When NOT to Use

• Gathering raw requirements — use project-requirements skill
• Project-level planning (SDP, QA Plan, Risk Plan) — use sdlc-planning skill
• Designing architecture (SDD, database design, API docs) — use sdlc-design skill
• Writing test plans and test cases — use sdlc-testing skill
• Writing ERP module-specific manuals with in-app PHP delivery — use manual-guide skill
• Planning a single feature — use feature-planning skill
• Bootstrapping a new SaaS project — use saas-seeder skill
• Updating project docs (CLAUDE.md, README) after code changes — use update-claude-documentation

Document Inventory

Audience Segmentation

Generation Workflow

Generate documents in this order. Each builds on the previous.

Prerequisite: SRS (sdlc-planning) + SDD (sdlc-design) + Test Reports (sdlc-testing)
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Step 1: README File (project baseline, developer onboarding)
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Step 2: Operations / Deployment Manual (how to set up and run)
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Step 3: Software User Manual (how to use the software)
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Step 4: Training Materials (how to teach users)
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Step 5: Maintenance Manual (how to keep it running)
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Step 6: Release Notes (per-version communication — ongoing)

Rationale: README establishes the project context. Operations manual documents deployment before users arrive. User manual describes the working system. Training materials build on the user manual. Maintenance manual handles post-launch operations. Release notes are ongoing with each version.

Prerequisites

Cross-References to Existing Skills

Upstream Skills (use BEFORE this skill)

Parallel Skills (use ALONGSIDE this skill)

Downstream Skills (use AFTER this skill)

Sibling SDLC Skills

Writing Style Guidelines

End-User Documents (User Manual, Training Materials)

• Plain language — no jargon, no acronyms without definition
• Active voice, present tense — “Click Save” not “The Save button should be clicked”
• Step-by-step — numbered instructions with one action per step
• Screenshot placeholders — format: [Screenshot: {description} -- {screen-name}.png]
• Bold for UI elements — Save, Dashboard, Reports tab
• Task-oriented — organize by what users want to do, not by features

Admin Documents (Operations Manual, Maintenance Manual)

• Technical but clear — assume Linux/server knowledge, explain project-specific details
• Command examples — copy-pasteable with expected output
• Troubleshooting trees — symptom to cause to solution
• Checklists — pre-deployment, post-deployment, routine maintenance

Developer Documents (README, Release Notes)

• Concise — developers scan, they do not read prose
• Code-focused — commands, configuration snippets, architecture diagrams
• Architecture-aware — explain the “why” behind design decisions
• Copy-pasteable — every command should work when pasted

Multi-Tenant Considerations

• User manuals may need tenant-specific branding (logo, product name, colors)
• Training materials should use generic tenant examples (Tenant A, Tenant B)
• Operations manual must cover tenant creation, suspension, and data isolation
• Release notes go to all tenants — avoid tenant-specific references
• Maintenance manual must include cross-tenant data leakage as a P1 incident

Localization Considerations

• Primary language: English
• Secondary languages: Swahili (East Africa), French (West Africa)
• Use simple sentence structures that translate well
• Avoid idioms, cultural references, and humor
• Use ISO date format (YYYY-MM-DD) throughout
• Number formatting: consider local conventions (1,000.00 vs 1.000,00)
• Screenshot text: plan for screenshots in each language or use annotated callouts

Output Structure

When generating documents for a project, create this structure:

docs/user-deploy/
├── 01-readme.md
├── 02-operations-deployment-manual.md
├── 02-operations/
│   ├── installation-guide.md
│   ├── configuration-reference.md
│   └── backup-recovery.md
├── 03-software-user-manual.md
├── 03-user-manual/
│   ├── getting-started.md
│   ├── module-guides.md
│   └── troubleshooting.md
├── 04-training-materials.md
├── 04-training/
│   ├── quick-start-guides.md
│   ├── tutorial-modules.md
│   └── assessments.md
├── 05-maintenance-manual.md
├── 05-maintenance/
│   ├── troubleshooting-guide.md
│   ├── runbooks.md
│   └── incident-management.md
└── 06-release-notes/
    ├── v1.0.0.md
    ├── v1.1.0.md
    └── changelog.md

Each file must stay under 500 lines. Split into subdirectories as needed.

Quality Checklist

• All 6 documents generated (or justified why one was skipped)
• Each document stays under 500 lines (split if needed)
• User Manual covers all modules listed in SRS with step-by-step workflows
• Operations Manual covers all 3 environments (Windows dev, Ubuntu staging, Debian prod)
• Training Materials include role-specific quick starts and hands-on exercises
• Release Notes follow semantic versioning with audience-specific views
• Maintenance Manual includes runbooks for top 10 operational tasks
• README includes working installation steps and project structure
• Screenshot placeholders use consistent format throughout user-facing docs
• Multi-tenant operations documented (tenant creation, isolation, suspension)
• Android deployment covered (Play Store, staged rollout, in-app updates)
• Cross-references to other skills are accurate and bidirectional
• No jargon in end-user docs; no vague language in admin docs
• All commands are copy-pasteable with expected output documented
• Documents cross-reference each other and upstream SRS/SDD

Anti-Patterns (What NOT to Do)

Template Files

Each template provides the complete structure, section-by-section guidance, example excerpts, anti-patterns, and a quality checklist.

1. Software User Manual
2. Operations / Deployment Manual
3. Training Materials
4. Release Notes
5. Maintenance Manual
6. README File

Back to: Skills Repository Related: sdlc-planning | sdlc-design | sdlc-testing | manual-guide | google-play-store-review Last Updated: 2026-02-20