Merge

It's that time again. Time to make a few updates for a recurring project. You remember doing this several times before, but the details are sketchy. You recall a volley of emails sent back and forth some time in the hazy past. And once more, you are about to commence searching those email archives for the necessary details. But wait! What if there were a better, quicker way to retrieve this information you find yourself using repeatedly? And what if it could be centrally organized and accessible to each team member in your organization?

Right, so this isn't exactly a breakthrough idea. But strangely enough, individuals working in any number of industries often find themselves in need of such a remedy. We here at Merge have used a number of tools to share information in such a way, but we felt our process could become even better if we had more control over the content and organization of our documentation. Enter Drupal's Book module. Obviously this is just one of several options a team could use to stay organized, some more ready-made than others. But for our team, we prefer the customization allowed by a Drupal-based solution.

For our documentation site, we chose to organize our navigation first by client, then by relevant project, with additional levels possible if required. Employing the JQuery Menu and Advanced Book Block modules, we can also navigate to any documentation with only one page load. And by making use of Drupal's built-in File Upload and Comment modules, we can easily share files and leave additional helpful details whenever necessary.

This system has certainly made life easier for the Merge team thus far, providing a central knowledge base for technical details, login information, and development environments for our various projects. As a web-based solution, it allows us easy access no matter where we may be, and since it is built upon proven content management and multi-user technology, it is reliable and secure as well.

Bottom Line: Documentation is one of those things few people particularly enjoy creating, but it pays off handsomely in the long run. And with the right system in place, the process might just become mildly enjoyable!