Master this essential documentation concept
Just-in-Time (JIT) in documentation is a strategy that creates, updates, and delivers information precisely when needed rather than maintaining extensive documentation libraries. This approach reduces waste by focusing resources on actively used content and eliminates outdated or unnecessary documentation.
Just-in-Time (JIT) documentation is a lean approach that prioritizes creating and maintaining content based on immediate user needs and actual demand. Rather than producing comprehensive documentation upfront, teams focus on delivering the right information at the right moment.
Development teams release features faster than documentation teams can create comprehensive guides, leading to gaps in API documentation.
Implement JIT documentation that creates essential API docs when developers request them or when support tickets indicate user confusion.
1. Set up automated alerts for new API endpoints 2. Create templates for rapid API documentation 3. Establish a 24-hour response time for critical API docs 4. Use user feedback to prioritize which endpoints need detailed examples 5. Expand documentation based on actual usage patterns
Reduced time-to-documentation from weeks to hours, improved developer satisfaction, and elimination of unused documentation overhead.
Support teams spend time maintaining extensive knowledge bases where 80% of articles are rarely accessed, while frequently asked questions lack proper documentation.
Create documentation based on actual support ticket volume and customer inquiries, focusing on high-impact, frequently requested information.
1. Analyze support ticket data to identify top issues 2. Create documentation only for problems that occur more than 5 times per month 3. Set up automatic alerts when new issue patterns emerge 4. Empower support agents to create quick documentation during ticket resolution 5. Review and archive low-usage content quarterly
90% reduction in maintenance overhead, faster resolution times, and higher customer satisfaction scores.
Teams create extensive process documentation that becomes outdated quickly as workflows evolve, leading to confusion and inefficiency.
Document processes only when team members request clarification or when onboarding new employees, keeping content minimal and current.
1. Replace comprehensive process manuals with FAQ-style documentation 2. Create documentation during actual process execution 3. Use screen recordings and quick guides instead of lengthy written procedures 4. Update documentation immediately when processes change 5. Archive documentation for discontinued processes
Always-current process documentation, reduced onboarding time, and elimination of conflicting or outdated procedures.
Product teams document all features comprehensively, but users only engage with a small subset, resulting in wasted effort on unused content.
Create feature documentation based on user adoption metrics and support requests, focusing on features that users actually discover and use.
1. Integrate analytics to track feature usage 2. Create basic documentation for all features, detailed docs only for popular ones 3. Set usage thresholds that trigger expanded documentation 4. Use in-app contextual help instead of external comprehensive guides 5. Regularly review and update based on feature adoption data
Higher documentation engagement rates, reduced content creation time, and better alignment between user needs and available resources.
Define specific criteria that trigger documentation creation, such as support ticket thresholds, user requests, or feature adoption rates.
Develop standardized templates and workflows that enable quick content creation when documentation needs arise.
Establish systems to continuously collect and analyze user feedback, usage data, and content performance metrics.
Focus on creating the smallest amount of documentation that effectively addresses user needs, then expand based on demand.
Systematically review and remove or archive content that no longer serves user needs or reflects current processes.
Modern documentation platforms provide essential infrastructure for implementing Just-in-Time documentation strategies effectively. These platforms offer the flexibility and responsiveness needed to create, update, and deliver content precisely when users need it.
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