Documentation & Knowledge Organization
Documentation at GreenMethod is treated as a working asset, not a by-product of delivery.
The purpose of documentation is to preserve understanding, support decisions, and enable continuity over time. Structure is intentionally kept clear and restrained, avoiding unnecessary formality while maintaining consistency and traceability.
Documentation Principles
GreenMethod’s documentation approach is guided by a small set of practical principles:
documentation exists to be used, not archived
clarity takes precedence over completeness
structure matters more than volume
documentation should outlive the tools used to create it
These principles reflect long-term operational experience rather than theoretical models.
Separation of Systems and Knowledge
Documentation is stored in a secure external repository and is not embedded directly in operational systems.
This separation ensures that:
documentation remains durable over time
knowledge is not lost during system changes
access can be controlled independently of project tools
Operational systems reference documentation artefacts rather than containing them.
Documentation Structure
Documentation is organized around understanding, not around tools or organizational charts.
Typical documentation artefacts include:
system and context overviews
process descriptions and decision rationales
project-specific documentation
business analysis artefacts, where applicable
Each artefact has a defined purpose and audience.
Project-Centric Organization
Documentation is structured around projects rather than departments or systems.
Each project has:
a defined documentation scope
a consistent structure
explicit ownership
This allows documentation to reflect how work was actually performed and decisions were made.
Lifecycle and Maintenance
Documentation is maintained as part of normal project work.
Updates occur when:
decisions change
scope evolves
assumptions are revisited
Documentation artefacts are reviewed at defined points rather than being left to accumulate informally.
Access and Governance
Access to documentation is role-based and aligned with project responsibilities.
Not all documentation is visible to all stakeholders. Access is granted based on relevance and need, rather than convenience.
This approach protects sensitive information while keeping documentation usable.
Practical Use Over Formalism
Documentation depth is proportional to project complexity and risk.
Where lightweight documentation is sufficient, it is preferred. Where greater precision is required, additional structure and modelling are applied deliberately.
The goal is documentation that supports work rather than documentation that becomes work.
Design Principle
Documentation depth is proportional to project complexity and risk.
Where lightweight documentation is sufficient, it is preferred. Where greater precision is required, additional structure and modelling are applied deliberately.
The goal is documentation that supports work rather than documentation that becomes work.