Old habit protects from new risks
February 6, 2008
Ever since computers were created, one element has been essential, reviled and incomplete.
Documentation.
It can save a company, though, especially in a dire case where the 3000 experts suddenly leave — through accident, or acquiring a new employer. Or even getting lucky on a Lotto ticket. MB Foster's Birket Foster says that when a key employee disappears, one thing is the initial key to survival: Documentation of the systems and tools which carry an organization's business. A rescue might be possible if your 3000 expert veers into the wrong freeway lane.
"A lot of it depends on how much documentation is available," he said. "You can reverse engineer it, but it can become a very costly process."
But possible, at least, and probably less costly than the interruption of starting from scratch with a new packaged app.
Bringing in the experts for off-the-shelf apps is an option. "You can have people who are very familiar with the application, and you're paying a good rate for those people [in a rescue]," Foster said. "But they actually know what they're doing."
Now, Foster adds, is a great time to go back and look at your documentation, "so if an IT expert won the lottery [and retired], there be enough documentation for IT and your end-user department to be able to survive."
Why is it a great time now? For many homesteading customers, very little is changing in their configuration. Lots of sites are locked down, or making few application changes. What's not broken doesn't need fixing.
Documentation, the last thing anybody wants to do, is the first thing you'll be reaching for when an unexpected risk surfaces. The sudden loss of expertise and 3000 experience qualifies as one of those risks.
Complete documentation practices can be learned from the experts who consult and advise in your community. Ask your support provider or software partner where to find good documentation assistance.