Making a business case for documentation. Post 1 — Does good documentation speak for itself?

This is the first in a series of posts about making a business case for documentation.

In paving the way to creating a viable business case for software documentation, it is important to understand what we mean by good documentation. The definition, justification, and cost benefits of good software documentation are the foundation for the advice and methods discussed in this article.

Our focus in this series of posts is on software documentation. The aim of this series is to help you develop a strong reasoning to make a case for investing in documentation, whether for an internal or external audience.

Quality documentation is foundational. It drives the successful implementation of technical capabilities and amplifies the impact those capabilities have on organizational performance. Documentation also has a positive impact on outcomes, such as team performance, productivity, and job satisfaction. — Google’s State of DevOps report, 2023

As Cameron Shorter (a co-founder of The Good Docs Project) said, "Good documentation provides just enough info, when it is needed, to support a specific action, at the quality required."

“Documentation gives everyone an equal playing ground. It puts the knowledge from a privileged few in the hands of everyone, regardless of their standing.” — Yasmary Diaz

“Great documentation makes new hires productive in days instead of weeks, prevents thousands of calls to customer support, is the difference between crippling downtime and rock solid stability, and inspires true, fervent love of development platforms.” ― Andrew Etter, Modern Technical Writing: An Introduction to Software Documentation (book review).

The definitions of good documentation may be compelling, but good documentation doesn’t emerge through mere intent. Often, a good deal of work has to go in for good documentation to emerge (and be sustained). Someone has to believe in and approve that work, and before that, someone may have to make a case for that work. In other words, someone may have to make a business case for documentation, relying on facts, logic, and persuasion.

Let’s pause for a second. Are you someone who feels that there’s a gap in documentation? You could be a developer, technical writer, product manager, or even a community member who isn’t happy with the state of documentation. If so, this set of posts is for you, and it will equip you to make a business case for good documentation.

When a business case for documentation is needed:

A business case serves as a strategic tool that outlines the rationale, benefits, costs, and expected outcomes of a proposed initiative within an organization. It provides a structured approach to evaluating the feasibility and potential impact of investing resources, such as time, money, and effort into a specific project or activity.

In the context of documentation, a business case articulates why investing in documentation is a key enabler for the organization’s success.

With a sense of what good documentation means, and why good documentation should be linked to business interests, you will be off to a strong start to make a business case.

The next step is to know your company’s goals and therefore understand your company’s business interests. That’s the topic of post 2. Stay tuned!