I just did a 3 month contract for a company, and wrote everything up. Notes evolved for the meetings as they went on, the process got updated, the entire thing was left working beautifully. I then moved on to do the same thing for a different part of the same company. Incredibly powerful, just writing things down, and being able to hand it over and walk away!
It is, and I am baffled by why doing it isn't more routine.
It has been rare for a client to get in touch with me later to ask how whatever I did for them works... but it did happen once. The client's management were angry at me for not having left any documentation. It turned out that they ordered someone on staff to "clean up" their electronic files. That staff member deleted all my documentation, and when people wanted it, he said I hadn't left any. Fortunately, I was able to point them to a backup. There should always be a backup copy!
Clients will notice that you leave them with good documentation. It may even help you land more contracts.
Really appreciate this article, and the time and effort that went into it. You have a lovely, easy to read prose style also. Thanks!
I just did a 3 month contract for a company, and wrote everything up. Notes evolved for the meetings as they went on, the process got updated, the entire thing was left working beautifully. I then moved on to do the same thing for a different part of the same company. Incredibly powerful, just writing things down, and being able to hand it over and walk away!
It is, and I am baffled by why doing it isn't more routine.
It has been rare for a client to get in touch with me later to ask how whatever I did for them works... but it did happen once. The client's management were angry at me for not having left any documentation. It turned out that they ordered someone on staff to "clean up" their electronic files. That staff member deleted all my documentation, and when people wanted it, he said I hadn't left any. Fortunately, I was able to point them to a backup. There should always be a backup copy!
Clients will notice that you leave them with good documentation. It may even help you land more contracts.