Why do we need the documentation?

 

I spent years in IT industry in most days and in most Modern companies I found that they consider the documentation a burden not a solution for their problems .

Some of the reasons I had seen to avoid Making or updating the documentation :

• understaffed and lack the Time .
• lack of well ( no one will read it ) .
• lack the intention ( if some one know what I know I will be fired ) .
• I am the only one who do it anyway why should I document I can remember everything .

we have to agree on couple of things first :

1. without a structured, services management is merely a collection of observations ,No pattern will be noticed or enhancement can be made and measured .
2. the business main objective is to increase the customer / user value .

so from the above two point you find out that:

“documentation is a business decision ( from management not from individuals preforming the tasks and activities”

by agreeing with the  above (if you have Management Support ) you can answer the points above .

• understaffed and lack the Time  .

Reply Direction from management to Staff : it’s a task like any other with the same importance .

• lack of well ( no one will read it ) .

counteracting this with a regular follow up ( monthly meeting for example ) .

• lack the intention ( if some one know what I know I will be fired ) .

counteracting this one its tough , you can face it by :

• Forcing the decision ( Highly un-recommended ).
• Linking the documentation to performance appraisal (un-recommended ).
• Explaining the actual need for the documentation and be very transparent( recommended).
• preformed a change Management  (I un-recommended Unfreezing –Moving – refreezing approach ) (Highly Recommended ) .

I will be taking about how to make a change in your organization in details in later posts 

Usually the third one works unless the change is huge .

• I am the only one who do it anyway why should I document I can remember everything .

Reply Direction from management to Staff :It’s a way of showing the importance of your work and even optimize it  .

Off-course things in real life much tougher than this but this is a start , in my post we will address how to preform a change process in order to change the people .