IT documentation is important because it provides your IT Support Partner or IT Support Team with the right information to be able to operate, maintain, support, deliver and protect your IT infrastructure and IT investment.
IT documentation is an incredibly valued resource and we have discovered that in most organisations it is poorly managed, difficult to find or only just good enough to comply with regulations.
Creating IT documentation can be one of those daunting tasks that requires a lot of time and patience, but if it is managed properly then you, your IT team and/or your IT partner can benefit greatly and improve the delivery and effectiveness of your IT Support.
Unfortunately, poorly managed IT documentation is quite common. There have been numerous occasions when we have taken over from a prior IT provider and found that IT documentation has been poorly managed to the point that there was no up to date information on any element of the network, including licensing and firewall configurations. In cases where we take over from an internal team, often people in that team use their knowledge of the network and setup as leverage to ensure their longevity by remaining crucial to operations.
IT documentation is important to get right as it serves as a guidance for business critical events, such as your disaster recovery plan, as well as documenting important information like licensing, infrastructure, server details, etc.
Properly managed IT documentation takes time to collate and keep up-to-date. One of the first signs of a poorly functioning IT function is a lack of up-to-date documentation as that often means the team is spending all of their time fire-fighting issues. Using the available budget and resources efficiently is something that is always present in the minds of decision-makers. As IT documentation does not immediately add value to the bottom line, it falls back as a priority and as a consequence IT documentation is often poorly managed.
9 Reasons why IT Documentation is important
So, why do we say IT documentation is so important? Here are 9 reason why IT documentation is important.
1 – Effective IT Documentation reduces time wasting and increases efficiency
Wasting time comes from the inefficiency of processes. Processes become inefficient when there are inconsistencies with the way they are followed. This can be due to the lack of established processes or the lack of properly managed IT documentation. In addition, inconsistency also produces mistakes which results in wasted time. With properly managed IT documentation, you can detail the most efficient way to complete a process and it can be shared with all of your organisation as a standard operating procedure.
2 – Up-to-date IT Documentation results in less errors
Up-to-date IT documentation details processes which junior members of the IT Support team can follow without making mistakes. That can increase the speed at which support tickets are looked into and solved, which increases your overall IT Support capacity. By leveraging less experienced team members, you are also able to reduce the cost of IT delivery, all while improving your reliability and uptime.
3 – It provides a detailed overview of your IT infrastructure
How many times do you purchase a new laptop for a new starter? Do you know how many laptops you currently have out of use and are properly functioning? Properly managed IT documentation has answers to all of these questions. In this particular example, it can lead to cost savings as you would be able to provide a new employee with a perfectly functioning laptop that you already have. It also allows you to properly plan infrastructure refreshes, while also ensuring that you can proactively keep your network healthy.
4 – In depth IT Documentation avoids knowledge bottlenecks
Knowledge silos are a bad practice anywhere. Imagine if there was only one employee that had business-critical information stored in their mind and then they suddenly decide to leave? To make things worse, imagine if everyone thinks this business-critical information was written down somewhere when in fact it wasn’t? Knowledge silos would no longer be a concern with properly managed IT documentation as knowledge will become available to everyone in your organisation with the correct privileges. That helps from a continuity perspective and ensures that you are never held to ransom by seemingly indispensable people within your team.
5 – Simplified processes for hardware roll-out and maintenance
Documenting hardware components, bespoke devices and legacy equipment can help you change them for standardised equipment. Standardising IT components helps simplify roll-out and maintenance processes, which in turn makes IT Support easier to deliver. Imagine spending a week trying to find a driver for an old piece of equipment that is not supported anymore?
6 – IT documentation aids emergency management
Emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time. The very nature of an emergency is unpredictable and can change in scope and impact. Being prepared and planning ahead is critical and that is why properly managed IT documentation should provide you with a well thought through play-book of all of your emergency management procedures.
7 – IT Documentation helps you comply with regulations
Regulations such as ISO/IEC 27001 require you to have up to date IT documentation. It is accepted best practise and demonstrates that you take your information management responsibilities seriously.
8 – IT Documentation provides a clear picture of your IT environment
Well formatted IT documentation provides your IT Partner or IT team with greater visibility into your network and that allows them to deliver much better support. In the instance of changing IT provider, properly managed IT documentation will help speed up the on-boarding process and make the process a lot less risky.
9 – IT Documentation tells you who is in charge of what
IT documentation does not only hold information on hardware and credentials, it also details who is responsible for certain elements or functions and who to get in touch with in case of emergencies.
The importance of IT documentation might be overpowering and maintaining it might seem overwhelming, but there are tools like the Cardonet Documentation Point that we use which helps you make the process of IT documentation more efficient, easily accessible and highly secure. Cardonet Documentation Point helps you with your IT documentation by offering SOC 2 compliance, role-based permissions, audit trails, version history and two-factor authentication.
IT documentation is important as it can directly impact the delivery of your IT Services. When things go wrong, and by the very nature of technology they most likely will one day, reliable, up-to-date documentation will save you and improve your response and recovery times immensely.
If you feel that you could benefit from properly managed IT documentation, call us on +44 203 034 2244 or +1 323 984 8908. Alternately, you can contact us online. We will be happy to help you overcome your IT documentation challenges so that you can focus on what you do best.
Cardonet have been working with businesses for over twenty years to help them overcome their technological challenges. Our friendly team of highly experienced engineers are available 24×7 to ensure that you enjoy access to a highly secure and highly available technology platform, with an IT network and infrastructure that is properly documented.
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