With any design, one of the first documents to be produced will be the Basis of Design. This document will encapsulate all the requirements of the project. Any project requirement missed in this document needs to be justified in every document or drawing. Rather than simply adding a reference to the Basis of Design, it will entail repetitive justification wherever the requirements pops-up.
A properly prepared Basis of Design will provide support and justification to all other detailed design drawings or documents. What if, the Basis of Design fails to serve its purpose? The issues will escalate and may become unmanageable if not properly addressed. Any omissions should be rectified upon their discovery. Re-approval of a single document requires lesser manhours and shorter turn-around time for approval than having several documents to process.
Overdoing the Basis of Design is also not acceptable as it may create more issues than it solves. It is recommended to include only what is necessary, not more than what is required.
The Basis of Design shall be given the top priority at the start of the project as it serves as a fundamental document during the life of the project.