Are you confident your business is properly positioned to mitigate challenges that could result from poor documentation? For instance, will the sudden loss of key personnel within your team result in a loss of your organization’s ability to manage and update critical business tools?

The importance of software documentation is well known. Yet, the lack of discipline to adequately comply with its best practices creates business exposures. An equally challenging trend we see is insufficient budgeting and prioritization of documentation when scoping project services.

The downsides of inadequate documentation may not be immediately felt. Often, your business will continue to run and operate profitably. The gaps typically emerge when you need to update or review your solutions. As workforce flux and the rate of technological advancement continue increasing, businesses will need to update digital tools more frequently to retain a competitive advantage.

To keep this edge, business leaders must assess their attitudes and cultures regarding documentation. Business leaders must also develop and enforce processes to ensure that required documentation is captured and kept updated. They must also ensure that the key resources who manage software development behave responsibly in this area. Finally, digital solution providers must be required to provide documentation at the right level of quality for all projects and services delivered.

The cost associated with maintaining this standard is not one your business should be interested in cutting. The short-term savings gained will pale in comparison to what your business stands to lose when the time comes to make the next upgrade or update to your solutions.

Please share this with your colleagues, partners, and service providers who need to hear this. You can also reach out to us at Intelbyte if you need support in this area or are about to embark on any digital transformation or optimization project and would like to ensure you have this base covered.