Creating documentation for teams, processes, tools, and best practices

Overview

Documentation often falls by the wayside when teams get busy, but the right level of documentation can save time, improve efficiency, and prevent the team from reinventing the wheel. Well-organized and accessible documentation helps team members stay independent and aligned, making it easier to maintain consistency and quality.

Result

Our Product Ops Assistant can gather the necessary information to create and maintain documentation that supports the team. This ensures your documentation remains clear, relevant, and up-to-date, enabling your team to work efficiently and independently.

Share playbook

Process

Define documentation needs

‍Product Ops Assistant & Product Leader

Meet to identify and prioritize the team’s documentation needs. Consider the following types of documentation that you may wish create:

Team documentation: Roles and responsibilities overviews, onboarding and training manuals for new team members, team KPIs and metrics overviews.
Process documentation: Step-by-step guides for recurring tasks, standard operating procedures (SOPs), incident response procedures.
Tool documentation: Setup and usage guides, integration documentation, tips for maximizing tool effectiveness (e.g., shortcuts, templates).
Best practice documentation: Guidelines for releases and launches, customer discovery, project management.

Develop a plan and timeline for creating the required documentation and select a suitable place to store it. You might choose to create an internal wiki to house all documentation, or you could leverage existing tools to avoid scattering information across multiple platforms. The key is to ensure easy access and centralized management. For more guidance, refer to our “Organizing documentation in a central repository” playbook.

Notion’s Product wiki template can assist in setting up a team Wiki.

Gather input from the team

Product Ops Assistant

Inform the team about the documentation project, outlining what will be created and why it’s important. If there are specific areas where their input is needed, invite them to contribute. This could involve answering questions about processes or even documenting certain tasks themselves. Share the plan for how and where the documentation will be stored, and encourage them to provide feedback on both the content and the chosen repository.

Create documentation

Product Ops Assistant

Begin creating the documentation according to the agreed plan. Ensure the following elements are included:

Assign ownership: Designate individuals responsible for maintaining specific documentation to ensure it remains current.
Clearly state goals: Each document should have a clear purpose so users understand its relevance.
Implement version control: Use a versioning system to track updates and maintain consistency.
Keep it simple: Use concise, straightforward language so that the documentation is easy to read and understand.
Organize logically: Structure the documentation in a way that flows naturally. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to make information easy to find and follow.
Tailor to the audience: Adapt tone and complexity based on the target users (e.g., new hires, senior team members).
Provide context: Include background information where necessary, especially for new or complex processes.
Link to relevant resources: Include links to related documents, tools, or external resources.
Use visuals: Incorporate diagrams, screenshots, and flowcharts to illustrate complex processes or instructions. Visual aids can enhance clarity and help break up long text blocks.
Ensure searchability: Use clear keywords, tags, and a table of contents so team members can quickly find what they need.

Gather feedback

Product Ops Assistant

Share the draft documentation with the team and encourage them to review the content and suggest improvements or updates. To manage this process effectively, refer to our “Collecting feedback on documentation and making improvements” playbook. Encourage ongoing contributions from the team, which will help keep the documentation accurate and relevant.

Finalize and share

Product Ops Assistant

Once all feedback has been incorporated, finalize the documentation and ensure it is complete and clear. Share the finalized version with the team and the Product Leader, providing a central link or clear instructions on how to access it. This step ensures everyone is aware of where to find the documentation and understands its purpose and use.

Update

Product Ops Assistant

Documentation should be reviewed and updated regularly as processes, tools, or team structures change. Establish a routine to check for updates and involve relevant team members in this process. For detailed guidance on maintaining up-to-date documentation, consult the “Regularly updating documentation to reflect changes” playbook.