This made a huge impact on me many years ago when working in asset management. It can be very difficult to move people away from what they ‘have always done’ during times of change.

Just one area that has a considerable impact on this is documentation. If the information in standards, specifications and technical guidance cannot be accessed easily, then they simply won’t be utilised and the ‘old ways’ will prevail. Understanding how these documents are actually being used within your organisation is the first step towards facilitating technical specialists in doing their jobs.

Truly understanding your documentation, the role that it plays and why it is important can help you to keep it succinct and useable. In fields where there is a lot of documentation to be maintained there is considerable benefit in having a single point of truth, supporting ease of use and making it easy to maintain.