Tidying Up Your Documentation with IT Glue
BY IT GLUE | February 19, 2019
Does your documentation spark joy? It might, but we’re not going to get quite that deep into Marie Kondo’s latest Netflix series. We will, however, suggest that while Tidying Up With Marie Kondo has lead many to head straight to cleaning out their closets, it might be time that you went through your documentation.
Rather than thinking about what documentation brings you joy, consider what documentation is offering you the most value. We talk a lot about the importance of documentation. If you’re documenting consistently, you don’t need to be told the kind of impact it can have on your business. That being said, if your documentation isn’t adding value, then you’re missing out on its true power.
If that’s the case for you, there are several options at hand. Either throw it away, update it, or organize it.
Throw it away
The first and presumably Marie Kondo’s favorite option of all, is that sometimes it’s simply time to throw it away. Okay, maybe not straight to the curb-side, but at the very least build an Archive folder where you can store all of the documentation you no longer need.
We’re not going to make you thank your documentation before you toss it, but the reality is that after a while, documentation tends to pile up. All of a sudden you have hundreds of SOPs and client information that may not even be relevant anymore. Perhaps you switched vendors. Now you’ve got six different SOPs tied to an outdated application you’re never going to touch again. Make it a goal to go through your documentation every six months or so, and decide if there’s anything you can toss into that handy Archive folder.
Any documentation that doesn’t bring you value, is just a cause of documentation clutter.
Update outdated documentation
Option two. Maybe you’ve come across documentation that still has relevance, but could be better. Is it simply out of date? It’s hard to keep up with the overflow of documentation. We get it. You have busy schedules and it just so happens that documentation can on occasion, hit the back burner. Over time you might forget to go back and update various SOPs, process documents, client information, and so on. The best thing you can do? Set aside time to do so.
In IT Glue our Flags feature is specifically designed to help in this scenario. You can use Flags to highlight documentation that’s incomplete, or simply outdated. The more current your documentation is, the more benefits it’s going to provide.
Organize it better
Maybe dealing with your documentation does have a lot of similarities to dealing with your bedroom closet. Perhaps you just need a better way to organize it. That’s why we created the MSP information hierarchy, one of our most foundational blog posts on understanding the best practices associated with organizing your documentation.
When it comes to your handy documentation app, you need something that’s going to give you access to the full power of your documentation. Everything about IT Glue, from its design to features like Flags, Relationship Mapping, and Checklists, exists to ensure your documentation is organized in a way that provides the utmost value, every day.
If you’re interested in learning more about how IT Glue helps you organize and maximize the value of your documentation, sign up for a demo or get in touch with your Account Manager below.
Documentation is a source of competitive advantage. When your processes are well-documented, they move from being individual knowledge to team knowledge. You execute consistently, and do not waste time looking for information, because it’s always at your fingertips. Companies with a high level of documentation maturity enjoy higher revenue growth, increased cost savings and superior valuations. IT Glue can help you get there.
