# Documentation Audit

Run quarterly. About an hour for a small business.

**A missing document is honest. A stale one lies.** Fifteen documents you trust beat sixty
you don't.

## Inventory

| Document | Owner | Last reviewed | Format | Still needed? | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |

## Four questions per document

- [ ] **Does this process still happen?** If no → delete
- [ ] **Has anyone opened it in six months?** If no → delete or fix findability
- [ ] **Would we write this again today?** If no → candidate for deletion
- [ ] **Does it have a named owner who is still here?** If no → assign or retire

## Format check
Is each document in the right form for whoever actually reads it?

| Reader | Right format |
|---|---|
| Already knows the job, needs prompting | Checklist |
| Needs teaching | SOP |
| Situation varies every time | Playbook |
| Needs to know what's allowed | Policy |

**Experienced people skimming an SOP for one step** → extract a checklist.
**A document that keeps saying "use your judgement"** → it wanted to be a playbook.

## Findability check
- [ ] Linked from the point of use — task template, CRM stage, pinned message, calendar invite
- [ ] Title uses the words someone would actually search
- [ ] No version number in the title
- [ ] Only one copy exists anywhere

## Review cadence — set per document

| Content | Review |
|---|---|
| Built on a third-party tool that ships updates | Quarterly |
| Regulatory or tax content | Quarterly, and on any rule change |
| Client-facing process | Twice a year |
| Internal process, stable tools | Annually |

## Standing queues to watch
- Documents past their review date
- Documents with no owner

Both belong in your weekly or monthly review alongside everything else that quietly drifts.

## The real measure
Count the questions you get that documentation already answers. That number — not coverage —
tells you whether the system works. Each repeat question is a defect in the system, not in
the person asking.