When it Comes to Business Management Systems: Less is More
Something I have observed while developing business management systems, is that when people write documentation for systems they put in as much information as possible.
Highly laudable, but from a user perspective this is generally a big turn off.
If the user is just looking for a quick refresher on a task they have not carried out for some time then they will likely be annoyed by the excess documentation. For someone new to a task this may be off-putting and the thought of reading through and learning all this new information can be overwhelming.
I have just bought a new dash-cam and one of the things that impressed me most was a simple one page document titled, ‘Quick Setup Guide’. This single page told me, in images and words, everything I needed to know in order to get my dash-cam up and running. There was also a link to a site where I could download the full manual if I wanted more detailed instructions.
There seems to be a throwback to the days of paper documentation where templates had a fixed structure with sections such as; scope, purpose, roles and responsibilities. All that information is useful, but most templates I have seen have all of these at the front.
The first thing the user of a process or procedure wants to see is how exactly to carry out the process or procedure. Preferably in an easy to view format such as a flow chart or a bullet point list. The rest of the stuff can follow on for the user to reference if they need it.
Ideally, important process/procedure documentation should be tailored to fit on one screen for the users. Links or hover-boxes can be added to supply additional information if the user wants to delve deeper.
One final thought on creating documentation, why do I still see a lot of documentation created in a portrait format? Most people access and read the documentation on a screen which favours a landscape format allowing for more information to be displayed.
So here is my solution: a landscape, single page, process/procedure document which tells you exactly how to carry our in the process or procedure in an easy format with links or hover-boxes to more information if it is required.
Related articles:
Processes and Procedures: How to Document Processes and Procedures