Lean documentation is an approach to creating and managing documentation that puts emphasis on efficiency, simplicity, and value. The concept of lean documentation focuses on reducing ‘waste’ and maximising ‘value’, i.e. providing just enough documentation to meet the needs of its users without creating unnecessary overhead.
Take an example - imagine you bought a table from IKEA. The box will come with instructions on how to assemble the table, and only these instructions.
If this were a controlled document, you would likely get a lot of other information that may not necessarily be relevant to you, the builder, but would be relevant to the table itself - such as the manufacturing date, manufacturing records, shipping information.
The instruction booklet is a good example of what lean documentation is - it exists purely to inform about specific types of information that pertains to its use, and nothing more.
What Are Lean Documents?
Lean Documentation focuses on creating the most efficient, straightforward, and valuable documentation, with the goal to produce documentation that provides the necessary information without unnecessary detail, excess verbiage, or redundant content. Lean documentation is often characterised by its minimalism, relevance, and iterative nature, ensuring that it serves its intended purpose effectively and efficiently.
How does lean documentation compare to traditional documents?
Importance of lean principles in documentation
Lean documentation comes with a lot of benefits, such as:
- Increased efficiency due to streamlined processes and automation of repetitive tasks
- Enhanced quality as the documentation is focused on delivering value to the user
- Improved user satisfaction as it is easy for users to find and understand information that is needed by being clear, concise and focused
- Improved agility and flexibility as lean documentation is makes it easier for teams to adapt to sudden changes, and can be scaled effectively
- Enhanced collaboration as it encourages and involves all team members
What Is Lean Manufacturing?
Lean Manufacturing is a systematic approach to production that focuses on minimising waste within manufacturing systems while simultaneously maximising productivity. In this context, waste refers to any resource expenditure that does not create value for the end customer. Lean manufacturing principles aim to improve efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction through continuous improvement and the elimination of non-value-adding activities.
How do lean manufacturing principles apply to documentation?
By eliminating waste and optimising processes, lean manufacturing significantly improves production efficiency, reducing the time and cost required to produce goods. This can involve two different segments:
Value Identification: Identify what information is valuable to the end-user. This involves understanding the specific needs of the users, such as developers, customers, or other stakeholders, and focusing on providing the necessary information that meets those needs.
Value Stream Mapping: Map out the entire documentation process from creation to delivery. Identify all steps involved and distinguish between value-adding and non-value-adding activities. This helps in pinpointing areas where efficiency can be improved.
Core principles of Lean Documentation
Lean documentation is guided by a few key principles to ensure it stays efficient and user-friendly.
First, it focuses on being value-oriented, providing clear and useful information that directly addresses users' needs. The minimalistic approach means only essential information is documented, cutting out any unnecessary details to avoid overwhelming users and reduce maintenance work.
Documentation is also iterative and incremental, evolving with the product and getting updated based on user feedback and changing requirements. This ensures it remains relevant throughout the product's lifecycle. Documentation is created and updated just in time, keeping it always up-to-date and relevant.
Integration with the workflow is crucial. Documentation is embedded in everyday processes, often using tools that allow it to be created alongside code or project tasks, making it a seamless part of the workflow. Collaboration among team members is encouraged to make the documentation comprehensive and enriched by multiple perspectives.
Automation is key wherever possible. For example, generating API documentation from code comments or using tools to keep documentation synchronised with the codebase. This reduces manual effort and maintains consistency. By following these principles, lean documentation remains efficient, relevant, and user-focused.
What Are the Key Benefits of Lean Documentation?
Lean documentation is an approach to documentation that emphasises efficiency, minimalism, and value, amongst other benefits as described below:
- Improved Efficiency: By focusing only on necessary documentation, lean documentation eliminates redundant or irrelevant information, saving time and resources. The streamlined processes and minimised documentation requirements speed up project delivery and decision-making.
- Enhanced Clarity and Usability: Lean documentation prioritises essential information, making it easier for users to find and understand what they need.
- Better Collaboration and Communication: Lean documentation fosters clear and concise communication among team members, stakeholders, and customers, enabling teams to collaborate more effectively, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
- Cost Savings: By minimising the volume of documentation, lean practices reduce the costs associated with creating, storing, and maintaining documents. Resources can be better allocated to more value-adding activities rather than extensive documentation efforts.
- Increased Flexibility and Adaptability: Lean documentation practices are more flexible and can quickly adapt to changes in project scope, requirements, or market conditions. With the increased agility, teams can respond faster to changes without being bogged down by extensive documentation updates.
- Enhanced Quality: Lean documentation ensures that only high-value information is documented, which improves the overall quality and relevance of the documentation, ensuring that documentation remains current and effective.
- Customer Satisfaction: By providing clear, concise, and relevant information, lean documentation can enhance the customer experience.Customers are able to find templates more quickly, leading to higher satisfaction and reduced support costs.
How Can You Implement Lean Documentation?
Assess Current Documentation Practices
Determine who will use the documentation (e.g., developers, end-users, internal staff) and what their specific needs are. Use surveys, interviews, and feedback forms to understand what information users find valuable and what they do not. Regularly update this feedback to stay aligned with user needs.
Document the entire process of creating, reviewing, and publishing documentation. Identify all steps, from initial writing to final approval and distribution.
This may also involve evaluating existing documentation for waste and inefficiencies. Look for bottlenecks, redundancies, and non-value-adding activities. Examples of waste include excessive approvals, redundant information, and unnecessary formatting steps.
Define Objectives
Set clear goals for lean documentation. Focus on clear, concise, and essential information. Remove any superfluous details that do not add value to the user. Develop standardised templates and style guides to ensure consistency and reduce time spent on formatting.
Based on user requests and feedback, produce documentation based on actual demand rather than anticipated needs.
If needed, use Kanban boards or similar tools to visualise and manage documentation tasks to help prioritise and track the progress of documentation based on demand.
Training and Education
Encourage team members to contribute to the documentation process. This includes developers, product managers, and support staff. Provide training and resources to help team members create effective documentation. This could include workshops, style guides, and writing tools.
A recognition and rewards scheme may be beneficial to motivate team members to take ownership and maintain high standards.
Continuous Monitoring and Improvement
This involves establishing a system for ongoing evaluation and improvement. Schedule regular reviews of documentation to identify areas for improvement. Use metrics and user feedback to guide these reviews, and establish feedback loops where users can easily provide suggestions and report issues with documentation.
The key is to make small, incremental improvements rather than large overhauls. This keeps documentation current and relevant without overwhelming users or the team.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the 5 principles of lean in order?
The five principles of lean, as outlined by lean manufacturing, include:
- Specify Value: Define value from the customer’s perspective.
- Map the Value Stream: Identify all steps in the value stream and eliminate waste.
- Create Flow: Ensure that the value-creating steps flow smoothly.
- Establish Pull: Produce only what is needed by the customer.
- Seek Perfection: Continuously improve and aim for perfection.
What are the 3 types of lean?
The three types of lean typically refer to different lean methodologies or focuses:
- Lean Manufacturing: Focuses on eliminating waste in the production process.
- Lean Enterprise: Extends lean principles throughout the entire organisation.
- Lean Six Sigma: Combines lean manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies to improve efficiency and quality.
What is the key concept of lean?
The key concept of lean is the continuous identification and elimination of waste within processes to create more value for the customer with fewer resources.
What is Lean vs. Agile?
Lean: Originates from manufacturing, focusing on eliminating waste, optimising processes, and delivering value to the customer. It's applied across various industries to streamline operations and improve efficiency.
Agile: Primarily used in software development, focusing on iterative development, flexibility, and collaboration. It emphasises frequent, small changes to allow for rapid adaptation and continuous improvement.