Process automation can help you save time, reduce errors, and optimize workflows. But how can you document and share your automation processes with your peers? In this article, you will learn some best practices and tools for creating clear, concise, and collaborative documentation for your automation projects.
Documenting your automation processes is not only a good way to keep track of your own work, but also a great way to communicate your goals, logic, and results to others. Documentation can explain the purpose, scope, and benefits of the automation processes, as well as provide step-by-step instructions on how to run, modify, or troubleshoot them. It can also be used to share your automation processes with peers for feedback, improvement, or reuse. Moreover, it can help ensure compliance, security, and ethics of the automation processes while documenting any issues, changes, or updates.
An automation process which is not documented, doesn't exist. Regardless if fully or partially automated, a process documentation which is clear, concise and complete has to reflect the execution of a process step by step manually and through systems and the duties of all involved parties. It's creating a common understanding of design, break points and auditability of process controls.
When automating processes, it is essential to document different aspects of them, depending on the complexity and context. Generally, you should include a summary or overview of your automation processes, a diagram or flowchart of the main steps, branches, and dependencies, a detailed description of each step with inputs, outputs, actions, conditions, and variables. Additionally, you should document the tools and software used for automation processes with their versions, settings, and credentials. Moreover, you should create a test plan or checklist for verifying the accuracy of your automation processes and a user guide or manual for running, modifying, or troubleshooting them.
At the end of the day, an automation process is a piece of software, and as such, in order to persist over time and be resilient, it needs to be treated with sufficient level of detail and control to avoid relaying on one single person to maintain it. The standard best practices apply as well: it is a matter of risk management
Many people forget to include the exceptions as part of their business process description. Describing how a typical business process is running is one thing; dealing with all predictable and unpredictable elements is something different. If you want to focus on business improvement and customer experience, don’t forget to define the SLAs.
When it comes to documenting automation processes, there are many methods to choose from. You can write comments or annotations in your code or script, create a separate document with text, images, or videos, use a documentation tool that integrates with your automation tool or platform, or use a wiki or collaborative platform to create and edit documentation with your peers. Whichever method you choose, it is important to have well-documented processes for the sake of efficiency and accuracy.
Sharing your automation processes with your peers can be beneficial in many ways, such as getting feedback, suggestions, or support for your projects, and learning from others. You can do this by sending your documentation and code or script files via email or cloud storage, hosting them on a version control or repository platform, publishing them on a website or a blog, presenting them in a meeting or a webinar, and joining a community or network of automation enthusiasts and experts.
Build a library of your automation processes to inspire and inform others with your completed initiatives through a simple sharepoint site or a folder structure where all automation processes can be displayed, searched and perhaps downloaded from.
Documenting your automation processes can be a daunting task, especially if you are new to automation or documentation. To make the process easier, plan and update your documentation as you go along. Additionally, use clear and concise language and visuals, such as examples and code snippets, to illustrate your documentation. Additionally, organize your documentation logically and use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to structure it. Furthermore, review and proofread your documentation for accuracy, completeness, and readability. Finally, ask for feedback from peers or mentors and incorporate their suggestions into your documentation. Documenting and sharing your automation processes can help you improve your automation skills, collaborate with others, and create value for your organization. By following the best practices and tools discussed in this article, you can create effective and engaging documentation for your automation projects.