{"id":44823,"date":"2019-09-04T10:07:06","date_gmt":"2019-09-04T09:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.n-able.com\/?p=44823"},"modified":"2023-04-13T12:15:56","modified_gmt":"2023-04-13T11:15:56","slug":"why-it-documentation-and-sops-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.n-able.com\/es\/blog\/why-it-documentation-and-sops-matter","title":{"rendered":"Why IT Documentation and SOPs Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a successful managed services provider (MSP), you have a portfolio of satisfied customers and a team of skilled employees to serve them. For efficiency, each employee likely specializes in particular customers, and everything runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis. But what happens when a team member is sick, takes vacation days, or\u2014worst of all\u2014quits abruptly?<\/p>\n

If the knowledge for serving a certain customer only exists in that employee\u2019s head, your customer will be left in the lurch in the event of an IT emergency. That\u2019s why robust documentation is critical to the long-term success of your MSP. Following IT documentation best practices will pay enormous dividends. In this article, we\u2019ll examine the many benefits of comprehensive\u00a0IT documentation<\/a>\u00a0and standard\u00a0operating procedures\u00a0<\/a>(SOPs), as well as how to get started creating them.<\/p>\n

What is documentation and why is it important?<\/h2>\n

Put simply, documentation is a systematic survey of everything an IT team needs to know to do its job. SOPs are step-by-step guides for performing common\u2014and not so common\u2014tasks that can be passed on to current and future team members. An IT\u00a0operations manual<\/a>\u00a0should contain all the important information pertinent to running a company\u2019s computer and network systems.<\/p>\n

Properly maintaining technical documentation comes with a multitude of advantages, including:<\/p>\n

1) Continuity of service:<\/strong>\u00a0An MSP employee may be out sick or on vacation, but their customers still need service. Even worse, a team member could quit with little notice, leaving no time for them to train a successor. If the employee has kept well-organized technical documentation guidelines, these situations are much less of a problem. Other team members can quickly step in and address the customers\u2019 urgent needs with the help of documentation and SOPs.<\/p>\n

2) Efficient training:<\/strong>\u00a0Anyone who has had to onboard new employees knows that training requires patience and takes up valuable time. An SOP document optimizes the process by enabling new team members to largely teach themselves the ropes, only consulting supervisors when something is unclear. Of course, some hands-on training is essential, but many basic tasks can be learned simply by studying SOPs. This means more efficient training for the new team member as well as more available time for the supervisor to focus on their own roles and responsibilities.<\/p>\n

3) Higher quality of service:<\/strong>\u00a0Technicians who \u201cwing it\u201d with no documentation to back them up are more likely to make mistakes. As today\u2019s networks become increasingly complex, relying on memory is no longer enough. SOPs reduce errors and provide a general rubric for employees, leading to greater customer security and satisfaction.<\/p>\n

4) Consistency:<\/strong>\u00a0Without adequate documentation, all team members will naturally perform tasks in their own ways, some being more efficient and effective than others. SOPs systematize the best way to do things, helping deliver consistent results.<\/p>\n

5) Increased security:<\/strong> Exhaustive documentation is particularly important when it comes to security procedures. Companies dealing with sensitive data, such as those in healthcare and finance, are required to document their processes to ensure they are following security protocols. But regardless of industry, every company deals with at least some sensitive data, and thus every company will benefit from codifying security best practices in an operations manual.<\/p>\n

6) Facilitating growth:<\/strong>\u00a0If your MSP decides to open a branch office or expand, having written procedures will be key for getting the new office up and running as soon as possible. Documentation and SOPs are key to maintaining a business that can operate at scale.<\/p>\n

What does good IT documentation look like?<\/h2>\n

Quality IT documentation is characterized by three things: comprehensiveness, clarity, and currency. To be as useful as possible to the reader, SOPs should cover every likely scenario that a technician might encounter, and IT documentation must be comprehensive in including every element of a network. Anything omitted will cause an informational void that could lead to problems down the road.<\/p>\n

An IT operations manual should include an inventory of all company hardware and software, including records of software licenses and updates. It should set forth information policies (how customer privacy is protected), security policies (what\u00a0passwords<\/a>\u00a0are acceptable and how often they need to be changed), internet policies (which websites are accessible and which are blocked), and hardware management policies (how often hardware is replaced and how old machines are disposed of). Backup and recovery policies should be documented as well. Administrative credentials and passwords should be stored in a secure, encrypted format.<\/p>\n

Next, SOP documents should be written clearly so they\u2019re easily understandable. This simplifies employee training and yields faster response times in emergency situations. Use plain language, avoiding jargon where possible. Including screen capture images for each step is particularly helpful, providing users with a visual guide. For more complex scenarios, consider screen-capture videos (screencasting).<\/p>\n

Finally, to ensure that guides are both useful and relevant, documentation must be regularly updated as systems change. MSP employees should be instructed to always update SOPs whenever they create a new procedure, install hardware or software, or add an additional network drive. Outdated documentation is almost as useless as no documentation at all, and employees should make it a priority to keep SOPs up-to-date with current policies.<\/p>\n

How should technical documentation be organized?<\/h2>\n

Technical documentation can be created manually and stored either physically (such as in paper binders) or electronically. Storing documentation digitally is preferable, of course, as it\u2019s searchable and easy to update. Storing documentation in the cloud is a good option, as it will make SOPs accessible to offsite and remote team members.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, however, using IT documentation software is the best solution. This software saves time, providing a tried-and-true framework to organize SOPs in a logical manner.\u00a0N‑able\u00ae<\/sup>\u00a0Passportal + Documentation Manager<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0includes a fully-featured documentation manager to make this process seamless for MSPs. By placing essential information at users\u2019 fingertips, Passportal + Documentation Manager streamlines each technician\u2019s workflow for optimal results. The product suite enables you to share customer knowledge across your technicians, maintaining consistent service delivery. Establishing guidelines and keeping a record of procedures should be a top priority for MSPs, and Passportal + Documentation Manager can help facilitate an easy, organized documentation process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Following IT documentation best practices is crucial for successful MSPs. Find out about the benefits of comprehensive\u00a0IT documentation\u00a0and SOPs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-44823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","topic-msp-business","topic-operations"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy IT Documentation and SOPs Matter - N-able<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Following IT documentation best practices is crucial for successful MSPs. 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