The Importance of Documentation Skills

Documentation is any communication that is intended to explain, describe or teach about any physical characteristics of an object, system, or process, including its parts, construction, assembly, maintenance and usage. Documentation is also a way of sharing knowledge and is usually distributed as a part of the medium of exchange, like books, magazines, newspapers, video and audio tapes or CDs. The scope of documentation is almost infinite. There is no end to the number of things that could constitute documentation. Even if the documentation has to be created for a few different items or fields, the parts or forms of the communication are called components.

While having a proper documentation is vital for effective communication, it is also important for users or the administrators to determine what kind of documentation best suits their needs. This is because documentation can often serve as a mirror through which an administrator or other people may verify whether the systems, procedures, layouts and other details described in the documentation are actually necessary, relevant, useful and appropriate. The documentation being considered should include comprehensive notes along with a detailed description and references if needed.

One of the ways to facilitate the توثيق process is by maintaining one place where all documentation is kept. One place can either be an electronic filing system, a hard copy one or a combination of both. Electronic filing system can be used when there is a need for instantaneous access to the data and it is advisable to keep only those files that are strictly necessary while electronic filing system is used mainly for documents that may be long term. Electronic filing system is more convenient for most users but it can have its drawbacks especially when a person loses his entire hard copy of a document while trying to retrieve it from a remote location.

When documentation is to be maintained on an ongoing basis, preferably in an electronic form then the next question to answer is whether to use a one place or multiple places for the documentation. Since most businesses today have multiple locations and offices, it may prove difficult to maintain the documentation on all of these locations. Using a one place system means that all documentation can be located in a single place making maintenance of documentation easy, especially for electronic filing.

If you want to develop your documentation skills then confluence is the best way to start. Confluence is the best way to develop concise, accurate and user friendly documentation skills. With Confluence, everything is contained within a single file. This means that when you save a file it is saved as a file containing only the information that you want to record at that particular moment. This file then merges with the rest of the files stored on the system making it easier to search for information as well as to locate a specific part of the file quickly.

You should also consider the possibility of using a document control system. A good document control system not only has the capabilities of consolidating files and documents but it also has features which allow it to create a report which will highlight the changes that have been made as well as a table of contents so that it is easier for users to locate the particular document that they are looking for. It should also have the capability of allowing users to make new documents if required and allow users to check the state of the various documents as well as the date and time of the last update. All of this makes a very good point about the importance of documentation and the need for proper documentation. Therefore, if you feel that your documentation skills are lacking then you should consider investing in a document control system for your business.