Comment Most important part of the Job (Score 1) 108
1. The act of writing it all down helped cement it all in my mind
2. Hire a new IT guy - no problem! Easy to read docs (with pictures!) are available for everything. Makes the learning curve much easier
3. Something important breaks - no worries! Has probably happened before so we have detailed "What to do if..." docs
4. If I ever get hit by a bus, the company can continue without me. My replacement will have an easier time learning everything
5. There's so much information, I'd be an idiot to think I can remember it all. Even I forget what I wrote 15 years ago
Best part? Often when I get a question, my response need only be "Check the user guide..." (politely, of course) and the question never comes up again. I've had employees come and go, my own IT team has seen turnover, but getting a new person up to speed is light years faster than it used to be.
For tips:
- I always write for a beginner (less knowlegeable reader). It amazing how much information you take for granted. Not everyone has your background
- I include the WHY is this step necessary, what's the high level objective, etc.
- I have a test environment where my guys can practice almost everything - also a great way to see if you missed something in your docs
- LINKS. I used OneNote extensively because youy can read something, click a link to see the related material in that/other OneNote, and go back effortlessly
- Review; alot of stuff becomes obsolete, or changes... so keep your docs clean and up to date
