ERP User Documentation, a Compulsion
I admit it- I have a compulsion and that compulsion is to document procedures and customizations. I realize I am a prime candidate for the twelve step program, "Documentation Anonymous". In fact, I refuse to deliver any development without user documentation describing where to find and how to execute any particular development, along with testing tips, and other juicy tidbits. Worse, I have passed this disorder down the organization to others.
How this disorder befell me is an interesting story. You see, I just got tired of training the same procedure or task to one person after another and then again after someone forgot. This is no fault of any other persons as human memory in its current state is not perfect. It was my responsibility because I didn't document it. And I found, magically, the amount of traffic regarding said procedure or task died down to a mild murmur, and eventually to a wonderful blissful silence.
When procedures, tasks and details are held in minds of others and not in writing, it is subject to degradation, loss, alteration and other forms of unfortunate circumstance. Employee transfers, promotions, leaves, new hires, etc. are just a few of the possibilities. As these procedures and tasks are handed off from one person to another, data inevitably gets altered or bits of data gets dropped off and knowledge is then lost. "Tribal knowledge" can be converted to "Permanent knowledge" by documenting procedures, tasks and customizations.
I may have struck a serious blow to the financial interests of "Documentation Anonymous" and if so, the world will be a better place!