There's a lot of job security in documenting your tech stack:-) The job is never done.
Configurations change, users change, product utilization changes, contracts come up for
removal, products move in and out of the stack; there's a myriad of details that need to be added
and updated on a regular basis.
The most successful marketing operations teams make stack management part of their daily
routine rather than something that's done monthly or quarterly. Ensuring that your stack is up to
date makes it much easier to respond to requests for information and reports.
One of the best productivity tips we've seen over the last year is "if a job is going to take two
minutes or less do it immediately." This is a good tip to action in updating your stack -- add that
contract auto-renewal date now, don't wait until you have 10 more items to address.
Once you've created your initial stack documentation, make it visible across the organization. The
most successful marketing operations teams we've met publish their stack as the "technology
source of truth," uploading it to Confluence or SharePoint, or whatever they are using internally to
share information. This provides a reference for everyone to check before requesting new
technology and helps the organization understand what's being used and managed. Don't wait
until you reach your perceived "perfect state;" this is a situation where "good enough" is what's
important.
#10 Refine Constantly
and Share
