Project management for digital design — which item is NOT typically listed as a formal step? Among the following activities commonly performed during a hardware project, identify the one that is not usually named as a distinct “step” in standard project-management flowcharts.

Introduction / Context:
Digital design projects follow a sequence: define requirements, partition the system, implement (synthesize), verify, integrate, and release. While documentation is essential, most process diagrams treat it as a continuous activity accompanying each phase rather than as a single, isolated step. Recognizing this distinction helps students map tasks onto standard lifecycles.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Typical steps include definition/specification, synthesis/implementation, verification/testing, and integration.
• Documentation is performed throughout and finalized at release.
• Terminology varies, but core steps remain consistent.

Concept / Approach:
Project management frameworks (from V-model to iterative Agile hybrids) emphasize traceable requirements and validated implementations. Documentation supports each step—requirements docs, design docs, test plans, user manuals—but it is not typically a stand-alone phase in the same sense as synthesis or integration. Therefore, when asked for the “not a step,” documentation is the best choice among otherwise step-like items.

Step-by-Step Reasoning:

Verification / Alternative check:
Reviewing common course syllabi and industry flow diagrams shows documentation deliverables associated with each milestone rather than isolated as the only focus of a phase.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Overall definition is the kickoff step that frames the project.
• Synthesis and testing are core engineering phases.
• System integration is required to achieve a working whole.
• Risk assessment (option e, if present) is often a formal step or recurring activity; it is more defensible as a step than documentation alone.

Common Pitfalls:

• Treating documentation as an afterthought; it should evolve continuously to avoid gaps.

Final Answer:
System documentation