Documentation is an integral part of project management. Project managers are often tasked with delivering complex high-end projects. Sometimes, they are expected to deliver results but end up encountering different challenges in a project. In other words, project management is a very challenging job with a lot of activities.

Due to the many activities involved in project management, it can be difficult for a project manager to appreciate the documentation part of the process. However, good project managers should never disregard the documentation part when managing the basics of a project. This is because proper documentation is vital to the success of any project.

But what is documentation and why is it so important? In this post, we’ll try to define documentation and find out why companies should document every project.

What is documentation?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, documentation is the “process or act of recording evidence or official information”.

On the other hand, the Cambridge dictionary defines documentation as “written material or official papers” that are designed to provide “proof of something”.

Therefore, we can safely conclude that documentation refers to officially written or recorded material with evidence or information.

Documentation is important because it provides proof of reference .

What about Project Documentation?

Project documentation includes all the documentation aspects of a project. It makes:

Project activities traceable;

Project objectives and expectations clear;

Project issues easy to address.

In one way or another, documentation helps project managers to keep their jobs safe. As you can see, a project manager is responsible for the project goals and expectations. A project manager must be a devoted professional with a keen eye for detail.

Project document allows project managers to track the performance and progress of their projects, and to make informed decisions.

At times, project document is seen as a burden. However, a seasoned project management professional will understand the importance of proper documentation. Such professionals will never undervalue the importance of documentation throughout the project period. Instead, they will recommend the use of good templates. They will try to encourage a culture of recording and documenting. Improper or lack of documentation increases the risk of project failure. Moreover, poor documentation can result in issues, such as inadequate support during the project cycle.

Why Documentation Is Important for Project Management

When a company wants to cut costs, and become more efficient, creating lot of documents can be considered to be counterproductive.

If documentation doesn’t result in a direct deliverable, why should companies still do it?

Project documentation includes documents made during and for the entire project itself. Good examples include the schedule, plans, vision, and risk analysis of the project. The documentation process has a huge role to play rather than just creating piles of documents.

Documentation encourages creative thinking and the implementation of the project’s goals and objectives. It helps project managers to deal with constraints and risks involved in the process. The document is the proof and evidence of this creative and critical thinking.

Documentation also provides a means for managing various details that are impossible to keep in the human mind. That includes the little details that are often disregarded during the day-to-day project activities, as well as the bigger items that are easy to remember now, but which can be forgotten or lost due to unexpected personnel changes or the passage of time. It helps to keep the project management team and other interested parties informed about the project progress, changes or issues.

In some projects, documentation can be done poorly, late or even not done at all. This is mainly because some people may consider documentation to be something of little to no value. This is actually true if documentation is seen as a necessary evil or an aforethought by a company. If so, it may be written late or done poorly.

When it comes to timing, the project documentation should be created at the right time to maintain its value. If the documentation is done at the wrong time, it may lose value, even if the content is good.

If the vision, plan and risk analysis documents are written and then not properly referenced, they end up losing their value. A good example is a risk analysis report or document that is not properly referenced to check progress or updated with new risks as they are discovered.

Incomplete or inadequate content reduces the value of a document, even if it’s created on time and used properly.

Documentation is important because it helps to lower the risks involved in the project management process. The amounts of details involved in a project are too complex for the human brain to manage and remember. When properly done, documentation can be a great way to keep the whole project details intact. It enables decision makers to focus their minds on important parts of the project without having to keep every detail of the project in one’s head at all times.

Name: Bharath Kakkireni

Director – KBK Business Solutions

Bharat Kakkireni is a passionate software developer and engineer with over a decade of experience both in India and the U.S. He has been working on many multifaceted IT projects helping local businesses and also collaborates with MNCs in developing software projects. He’s an active team leader in KBK solutions. He imparts training, mentoring, and leads teams towards high end efficient working systems. Bharat keeps himself busy in reading, writing and Internet marketing.