Doc or Doc not, there is no try

If I were to create a list of the 'Top 50 Things Every Customer Service Team Knows is Important Yet Spends No Time On', Documentation would be top of the table.Everywhere you go in the Tech World you'll find Managers talking about how Documentation makes their team excel, all the while they have no procedures in place around it, and very often a Knowledge Base that's only used to reference itself.We all know that Documenting properly can give us the edge over the competition, so how do we actually put it into practice? Since we're on the topic of Top Lists... (Although this one is in no particular order) 

Top 6 Ways to Effectively Use Documentation

1. Appoint a ManagerMake sure there is accountability somewhere. No Accountability? No results. If you've got a large staff you could always appoint a Documentation Jedi per team, then one Yoda who has ultimate document power.
2. Utilise free SoftwareOr paid if you like, but considering the amount of free software out there it's easy to save the pocket money. Use a custom Wiki or Knowledge Base designed for internal Documentation and you'll see how powerful it can be.
3. Focus your ResourcesFollowing on from the last point, don't split your resources. By that I mean find an area/software to use and stick to it - Don't have information for X on an Online Wiki, for Y on Sharepoint, and for Z in Onenote. You're just slowing yourselves down and your customers will notice the difference.
4. Use Logical StructureThink Hansel and Gretel following a breadcrumb trail around the woods and back to the witch's oven. Make sure you have enough Levels so each one isn't crowded, but not so many that you need to browse through 15 folders to find a single document. Play around to find your sweet spot, but i'd recommend not having more than 15 articles in a single folder.
5. Don't be Afraid to RestructureYou set up your Knowledge Base when you had 4 clients, now you have 40 and your Logical Structure isn't. You may need to spend a day restructuring but you'll really notice the difference when it's working for you again. The lost time rearranging will quickly repay itself.
6. Make Documentation a Key Component of your Delivery ProcessBy this, we mean whether its a developer writing some code, a consultant completing some custom configuration, or a business analyst scoping out a project, ensure as part of the work they are completing, they have a task to complete accompanying documentation in your designated documentation solution.

 Follow these points and your customers will be in quick response heaven. Once brand new members of staff can answer requests from clients, you'll know you're a Wiki Wizard and not a Document Diva.