Documentation: get it in writing

Aware of the importance of concise documentation, many software teams adhere to a strictly enforced set of rules governing not only what they document, but also how they go about documenting it. However, most materials handling professionals do not approach the documentation process with such documentation. Keeping only a mental note of important information can be costly when such information is challenged in court. Government employees use a process called configuration management to record how, when, and why a particular combination of hardware and software operates. The goal of configuration management is not only to document design and operations data that may be required for maintenance schedules, but also to anticipate which elements of a system may be subject to redesign. Configuration management can be extended to materials handling systems and equipment seamlessly.