[ISM3 Users] Tuesday Insight: Know-it-All Documents

[Vicente Aceituno]

Dear All,

I have seen professionals, more frequently than not, stuffing
documents with everything from definitions, to rules, policies,
procedures and howtos.

It is somehow difficult to make documents complete and specific. Being
too specific generates hundreds of documents, while playing
a-document-to-bind-them-all creates huge and unmanageable documents.

There are mainly six types of documents:
1.- Procedures. They specifiy how to do something  and who has to do
it. Detailed procedures contain step by step instructions.
2.- Policies. They specify requirements, priorities and rules for the
process that guide management decisions when a specific procedure does
not exist.
3.- Reports. Documents that reflect a summary and interpretation of
the results of a process.
4.- Agreements: Documents to specify commitments and responsibilities
related to the process.
5.- Plans: Documents to define the scope of a process, the resources
necessary to establish and perform it and how to set it up.
6.- Forms: Templates used as input for processes.

If your documents does not contain:
- What the documents is for;
- Who can apply it, who can change it;
- Responsibilities for compliance with the document;
- Scope of the document (who and where);
- Step by step descriptions (who, what, when);
- How to solve and escalate conflicts/exceptions;
- Related forms and communication channels.
- Requirements
- Priorities
- Rules
- Templates of forms and reports

...it could be complete; but perhaps it should be split in smaller,
easier to manage docs.

Have a nice Sunday :)

Vicente