As a managed service provider (MSP), one of the most important investments you can make is good IT documentation. You already know how important it is to provide effective services to keep your customers satisfied. You likely rely on your employees for many of these processes. But you'll likely waste time and resources if critical information isn't properly tracked. For example, if one of your team members leaves, they might take information about one of their clients with them, forcing you to begin the relationship all over. That's just one of the many reasons that consistent IT documentation is vital if you want to improve your services.

What is IT Documentation?

IT documentation involves keeping track of the information your team needs to effectively operate. The process involves making a record of key information about your company. This can be used when onboarding new clients or for helping new team members work efficiently. It should involve everything from guidelines for certain operations to customer details. The basic idea is to prevent you from having to start from scratch. While many MSP's overlook how important this process is, it has many benefits. Its fundamental purpose is to increase your efficiency, which helps you be more productive. May MSP's don't realize how much time they are losing without IT documentation.

Making Documentation Effective

IT documentation is all about comprehensiveness and clarity. If you leave anything out, you may have serious issues later. Even if you think you don't need something, it's better to add it so you don't regret it later. You should collect both internal and customer data. Internal data involves the processes related to your company, including security and information policies. Customer data includes details on past IT problems and how you solved them. You should also keep track of the details of clients' current IT environments. So how do you make sure that you have accurate, regularly-updated information? While it's possible to do it manually, IT documentation software helps the process go easier while maximizing your effort. Ensure that everything is written clearly and concisely. Software helps you organize it so anyone looking at it later can understand it.

Benefits of Documentation 

Without a clear procedure, your team may waste time, several minutes here and there every day. That might not seem like much, but in the long run, it can add up. For example, if tasks don't have standard procedures, each staff member will likely do it differently. Your customers will appreciate the improved consistency. It helps you make fewer errors because leaving complicated processes up to each team member nearly guarantees errors. But by keeping track of your processes, your employees can get up to speed faster. That translates into a higher level of service for your clients. Your business benefits as well. It's extremely risky to have vital information that only one or two team members know. The future of your company hinges on only a couple of employees. If they leave suddenly, it'll be incredibly difficult to serve your customers.