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Speaking Notes
Watch the video above and learn 4 ways to use Atlassian Confluence for project documentation. If you want to connect your cloud-diagramming tool to Confluence, follow these links:
The Project Documentation Management Challenge
- Version control always seems to be a challenge as teams work in Excel or Word.
- Someone creates a document and then sends it via email for everyone to review
- How often do you ask “Who has the most recent Excel files?”
- Someone makes one change and everyone else is out of sync
- How often does someone reach out to the project manager to ask if they have the correct version?
Project Documentation Delays
- Creating project documentation (functional specifications, technical specifications, support documentation) all take a lower priority in a project
- Teams focus on launching the product and then focus on the next project or next release
- Often requires assembling different attachments and embedding them in a Word document or a zip file.
Recommendation
#1 Use Confluence as the project management documentation repository
- Develop documentation in Confluence as the project progresses across various phases
- Encourage you to STOP working in one-off documents and start COLLABORATING in Confluence.
#2 Use Confluence instead of sending emails
- Create a page and manage discussion in the page comments.
- No more SEARCHING the INBOX for the latest comment or viewpoint
- Inline comments allow uses to collaborate and provide feedback on the actual document
#3 Use Confluence instead of sending documents
- Documents can be attached to Confluence
- Documents can be embedded in Confluence
- Create a page in Confluence instead of creating a Word, Powerpoint or Visio file
#4 Create Process Flow diagrams and Architecture diagrams in Confluence
- Cloud-based diagramming tools have direct integrations into Atlassian Confluence
Additional Features
- Versioning is available for every change – revert back to previous versions!
- Automatic notification for document changes (i.e. Watcher)
- Share the LINK to to Confluence page vs. sending the attachment
Confluence Documentation Benefits
- Establishes one source of truth for all project documents
- Centralizes communication instead of searching for emails or instant messages
- Provides transparency so all team members know the latest information
- Easily enables document editing features
