Your group purchased an costly enterprise useful resource planning (ERP) system, and it got here with a complete set of documentation together with consumer manuals, coaching supplies, and technical guides. You utilized the documentation and efficiently carried out the system, however how a lot have you ever used the documentation since then?
Know-how is an funding. You wish to maximize the usage of the system, together with that the system’s operations are constant and dependable. You commonly replace the system for upgrades and patches. It’s essential to ensure your corresponding documentation is updated as a result of it permits staff to be educated concerning the up to date system.
Documentation captures vital info preserving that data and making it obtainable to all applicable people. If only some particular people know the way the system works, what occurs after they get sick, go on trip, or resign? The answer is to ensure the data is written down and to doc that data.
Person-Associated Documentation
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Person documentation helps onboarding and coaching to make sure staff know the right way to correctly use the system. This permits staff to get accustomed to the system in order that they’ll leverage it successfully. Person manuals present finish customers with tips together with step-by-step directions on the right way to use the system. Safety roles determine what the employees can/can’t do versus what requires a supervisor to override. Should you’ve added a module, be sure to add the brand new function/performance particulars in order that the paperwork aren’t incomplete or lacking info.
Coaching supplies (e.g., teacher/scholar manuals, cheat sheets) are used to coach each new and present staff poised for promotions and transfers. Coaching supplies can be utilized for scheduled coaching lessons or for train-the-trainer situations whereby designated trainers (division tremendous customers or subject material specialists) prepare the remainder of the group.
If the documentation isn’t updated, it may well confuse or make it troublesome for finish customers to correctly use the system. Enable customers to submit suggestions (e.g., by way of a service ticket) relating to documentation corresponding to unclear steps, incorrect display print, or lacking info.
IT-Associated Documentation
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For the IT employees, documentation serves as a reference for the way the system is meant for use. This consists of system setup/configuration, system upkeep, in addition to troubleshooting.
Many organizations function 24/7 so it’s essential that the IT employees be capable of reduce any downtime. Some key paperwork are:
1. System structure paperwork – present an outline of the system parts and interfaces which might be interconnected. If you could migrate your surroundings from on premises to the cloud, having present structure paperwork can reduce the uncertainty of what parts you will have and the way they’re linked.
2. Information-related paperwork (e.g., information dictionaries and information circulation diagrams) – doc the info buildings. If a desk is dropped, have you learnt which processes together with experiences will likely be affected?
3. System upkeep paperwork – did the improve have an effect on the patching course of? Does the nightly processing schedule should be up to date? Or any of the backup schedules (every day, month-to-month, quarterly, and so forth.)?
4. Troubleshooting paperwork – steerage on diagnosing and resolving widespread technical points. If you upgraded the database model, did you turn into accustomed to the brand new system messages and codes upfront?
When the system has been modified, be certain that the documentation has been up to date to replicate these modifications. You need to use a date stamp within the footer and activate versioning to determine when the documentation was final up to date.
Additionally, don’t neglect to replace the catastrophe restoration and enterprise continuity paperwork. Within the occasion of a catastrophe, you wish to make sure the group can reduce any enterprise disruption. It may be chaotic when a catastrophe happens, and up-to-date documentation can cut back stress, particularly for workers filling in for absent staff.
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