Why Troubleshooting is Critical in IT | Google IT Support Certificate

Summary

This video script offers an insightful look into the role of an IT support specialist, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and problem-solving skills. It highlights the necessity of asking the right questions, isolating issues, and following a systematic approach to troubleshooting. The script also underscores the value of documentation in IT, providing examples of good practices and common pitfalls to avoid. The goal is to create positive user experiences and improve people's lives through technology.

Takeaways

• 🤖 Effective communication is crucial for IT support specialists when troubleshooting problems with users.
• 🔍 Troubleshooting is not just about technical skills but also involves analyzing issues, identifying causes and effects, and finding solutions.
• 🌟 IT professionals can apply problem-solving skills across various fields, including healthcare, as illustrated by the doctor-patient scenario.
• 🛠️ Encouraging a passion for technology and helping others grow is important for IT managers, as shared by Marti Clark from Google's IT support program.
• 👥 The real purpose of technology is to improve people's lives, and IT support specialists play a key role in enhancing these interactions.
• ❓ When troubleshooting, asking the right questions and gathering information is essential before attempting to solve a problem.
• 🔑 The 'isolate the problem' method helps to narrow down the potential causes of an issue, making it easier to identify the root cause.
• 🔄 The 'follow the cookie crumbs' method involves tracing back to when the problem first occurred to gather insights and work forward from there.
• 📝 Documentation is vital in IT for record-keeping, ensuring clarity, and saving time by avoiding repetition of problem-solving efforts.
• 🚫 Common pitfalls in troubleshooting include going into autopilot without careful thought, not finding the root cause, and resorting to drastic measures without proper investigation.
• 🔄 The 'start with the quickest step first' approach is recommended for efficient troubleshooting, prioritizing speed and effectiveness.

Q & A

What are the two fundamental skills mentioned in the script that are applicable in the IT world and beyond?

The two fundamental skills mentioned are fixing problems and creating positive interactions with people.

Who is Marti Clark and what role does she play in the video?

Marti Clark is a manager with Google's internal IT support program. She shares her experience and provides guidance on troubleshooting and communication in IT support.

Why is it important to ask questions and gather information before troubleshooting a problem?

Asking questions and gathering information is crucial to accurately diagnose the problem, avoid assumptions, and ensure an effective and efficient solution.

What is the significance of the 'follow the cookie crumbs' troubleshooting method?

The 'follow the cookie crumbs' method helps to trace back to when the problem first started, allowing technicians to work forward from there and gather valuable information to identify the issue.

What is the main goal of the 'isolate the problem' troubleshooting method?

The main goal of 'isolate the problem' is to shrink the scope of the potential issue, making it easier to identify the root cause and apply an appropriate solution.

Why is it essential to find the root cause of an IT issue?

Finding the root cause is essential because it helps prevent the issue from recurring and allows for more effective and long-term solutions.

What is the 'start with the quickest step first' method and when should it be used?

The 'start with the quickest step first' method involves addressing the most straightforward and fastest solution first when troubleshooting. It is used to resolve issues efficiently and save time.

What are some common pitfalls an IT support specialist should avoid when troubleshooting?

Some common pitfalls include going into autopilot without careful thought, not finding the root cause, and resorting to drastic measures like wiping a system without proper investigation.

Why is documentation important in IT support and what are its benefits?

Documentation is important because it provides a record of issues and solutions, helps keep users informed, and serves as a reference for future troubleshooting, saving time and effort.

What are some examples of ticketing or bug systems used in the IT industry for documentation?

Examples of ticketing or bug systems include Bugzilla, Jira, and Redmine, which help track user issues and communicate updates effectively.

How should IT support specialists write documentation to ensure clarity and ease of understanding?

Documentation should be concise, clear, and straightforward, providing specific problem descriptions, background information, and exact steps to resolve the issue without leaving any ambiguity.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Essential IT Support Skills

The script introduces the critical nature of troubleshooting and communication for IT support specialists. Marti Clark emphasizes the importance of these skills not just in IT but across various professions. The narrative highlights the significance of understanding and analyzing issues, identifying causes and effects, and leveraging this knowledge to find solutions. Marti shares her journey into tech, encouraging others to pursue their passion despite discouragement. The script also underscores the importance of improving people's lives through technology and the role of IT support specialists in enhancing user experiences. It concludes with an analogy to illustrate the importance of gathering information before problem-solving, a common oversight in troubleshooting.

05:02

🔍 The Art of Effective Troubleshooting

This section delves into the intricacies of troubleshooting, comparing it to a game of narrowing down possibilities. It introduces the concept of isolating the problem to reduce the scope of potential issues and highlights the importance of finding the root cause to prevent recurring problems. The script contrasts ineffective troubleshooting, where assumptions are made without proper diagnosis, with effective troubleshooting that involves asking questions and gathering data. It uses a scenario involving Gail and Marty to demonstrate the difference between a poor and a successful troubleshooting interaction, emphasizing the need for follow-up questions to identify the actual issue.

10:03

📚 Documentation and the IT Support Specialist

The script discusses the importance of documentation in IT support, explaining how it saves time and effort by providing a record of issues and their solutions. It describes two primary methods of documentation in IT: using ticketing or bug systems and creating procedures and policies. The section outlines the benefits of documentation for keeping users informed and for auditing purposes. It also addresses the importance of updating documentation to reflect changes in systems and processes. The script provides examples of good and poor documentation practices, stressing the need for clarity and conciseness in technical writing.

15:03

🚫 Avoiding Common Troubleshooting Pitfalls

This part of the script warns against common pitfalls in IT support, such as going into autopilot and not finding the root cause of issues. It advises against quick fixes like reimaging a system, which might not address the underlying problem and hinder the development of deeper troubleshooting skills. The section encourages IT support specialists to invest time in investigating and identifying the root cause, which can ultimately save time and feel empowering. It also stresses the importance of documenting work to avoid repeating the same troubleshooting steps unnecessarily.

20:05

📝 The Importance of Writing Documentation

The final paragraph focuses on the importance of clear and concise documentation, especially within ticketing and bug systems. It explains that while not every ticket requires a full documentation of processes, it's crucial to create documentation for recurring issues. The script highlights the value of leaving an audit trail in documentation to understand what worked and what didn't. It contrasts poor documentation that lacks detail with good documentation that clearly describes the issue, its cause, and the steps taken to resolve it. The section concludes by congratulating the viewer on completing the lesson and inviting them to access further resources and the next lesson in the course.

Keywords

💡Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting is the process of identifying, diagnosing, and resolving problems. In the context of the video, it is a fundamental skill for IT support specialists, who must effectively communicate with users to understand and fix issues. The video emphasizes the importance of asking questions and gathering information as the first step in troubleshooting, as seen in the example where Marty asks Gail about her computer's problem to determine the cause.

💡IT Support Specialist

An IT support specialist is a professional who provides technical assistance to users. They are responsible for solving hardware, software, and network issues. The video highlights the role of an IT support specialist in combining technology and people skills to improve user experiences, as illustrated by Marti Clark's encouragement for techs to follow their passion and help others grow through technology.

💡Root Cause

Root cause refers to the underlying reason that leads to a problem or a series of problems. The video stresses the importance of finding the root cause in IT support to prevent recurring issues. An example from the script is when Marty identifies that the email problem Gail is facing is due to the email server being down, which is the root cause of her inability to access her emails.

💡Customer Service

Customer service involves providing assistance and support to customers, ensuring their satisfaction. The video script mentions the importance of creating a positive experience for users, which is a key aspect of customer service. This is exemplified when Marty does not make Gail feel silly for not realizing her screen's brightness was down, thus maintaining a positive interaction.

💡Isolating the Problem

Isolating the problem is a method used in troubleshooting to narrow down the possible causes of an issue. The video uses a game as an analogy to explain this concept, where asking if the number is greater than 50 effectively reduces the range of possibilities. This method is crucial in IT support to efficiently pinpoint and resolve issues.

💡Follow the Cookie Crumbs

This is a troubleshooting method that involves tracing back to the origin of a problem to understand when and how it started. In the script, Marty uses this method to find out that Gail's Fun Cat app started crashing after an update, which leads to the solution of rolling back to an earlier version.

💡Documentation

Documentation in the IT industry refers to the process of recording information, steps, and solutions for troubleshooting and problem-solving. The video emphasizes the importance of documentation for future reference, auditing, and maintaining a record of issues and their resolutions. An example from the script is the recommendation to update tickets with the issue details and steps taken to resolve them.

💡Ticketing System

A ticketing system is a tool used to track, manage, and document user issues and support requests. The video mentions Bugzilla, Jira, and Redmine as examples of such systems. These systems help IT support specialists keep organized and provide updates to users, as well as maintain a record of all interactions.

💡Quickest Step First

The 'Quickest Step First' method is a troubleshooting approach where the fastest and easiest solution is attempted before more complex ones. The video illustrates this when Marty suggests restarting the computer before reinstalling software to resolve Gail's issue, as a restart can be tested more quickly.

💡Pitfalls

Pitfalls refer to common mistakes or difficulties that can be avoided. In the context of the video, pitfalls in troubleshooting include going into autopilot and not finding the root cause. The script warns against relying on habit instead of careful thought and emphasizes the importance of investigating the root cause to prevent recurring issues.

Highlights

Troubleshooting and communication are fundamental skills for IT support specialists that can be applied across various fields.

Marti Clark emphasizes the importance of following one's passion in tech and encourages techs to help others grow through technology.

The module aims to teach effective troubleshooting habits for diagnosing and resolving problems in IT.

Asking questions and gathering information is a crucial but often overlooked step in the troubleshooting process.

The video demonstrates the importance of not guessing details but asking questions to understand a situation fully.

Isolating the problem is an effective troubleshooting method that narrows down the potential issue's scope.

Finding the root cause of an issue is critical in IT support to prevent recurring problems.

The 'follow the cookie crumbs' method involves tracing back to when the problem first started to identify its origin.

System logs and error messages are valuable resources for IT support specialists to diagnose issues.

The 'start with the quickest step first' method prioritizes efficiency in troubleshooting by addressing the fastest solution first.

Avoiding common pitfalls such as going into autopilot and not finding the root cause is essential for effective IT support.

Documentation is vital for IT support, serving as a record of issues and their resolutions for future reference.

Ticketing and bug systems are integral to documenting and tracking IT issues within an organization.

Good documentation should be clear, concise, and provide a step-by-step guide for resolving issues.

The importance of updating documentation to reflect changes in systems and processes is highlighted.

The video concludes with the significance of using documentation to save time and improve IT support efficiency.

Transcripts

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MARTI CLARK: Troubleshooting problems

and solid communication with users

may be one of the most challenging parts of your job

as an IT support specialist.

But by the end of this module, you'll

know the best way to handle them.

Fixing problems and creating positive interactions

with people are two fundamental skills

that can be applied to almost any situation in the IT world

and beyond.

Knowing how to analyze an issue, identifying the causes

and effects, and use the information

to find potential solutions are skills

that everyone from IT support specialists to doctors can use.

Hi, I'm Marti Clark, and I'm a manager with Google's

internal IT support program.

Even though I grew up around technology

and worked at my university's help desk, going into tech

wasn't something that was encouraged

by my teachers or my family.

Now as a manager, I try to encourage

all techs I work with to follow their passion.

It's this passion to help others grow

and my love for technology that led me here.

Helping people with technology is

both a rewarding and challenging endeavor.

I encourage my team to take advantage of their work

with users to spin up ideas, solutions, and opportunities

for improvement.

The technical aspects of problem solving

are super useful, but don't forget

the real reason most technology exists is

to improve people's lives, whether it's

the routing algorithm that form the backbone of the internet

or the software tools that let people create amazing art.

The ways that people interact with technology

are central to IT.

As an IT support specialist, you're

uniquely positioned to combine technology and people know-how

to make those interactions better and make a difference

in people's day-to-day lives.

How would you respond if I asked you, do you know how long it'll

take me to get to the bank?

You'd probably ask, where are you?

Where's the bank?

Are you walking, driving, biking?

But if you just guess the details of my situation

to direct me to the bank, your response

would be a day late and a dollar short.

It seems like such a natural thing

to ask questions and gather information to solve a problem.

But it's usually one of those most overlooked steps

in troubleshooting.

Troubleshooting is the ability to diagnose and resolve

a problem.

One of the most difficult skills to acquire in an IT role

isn't technical knowledge but effective troubleshooting,

whether that's helping someone face-to-face or remotely.

It's not specific to the IT world either.

We use troubleshooting skills every day.

My car is broken.

The light bulb went out.

I feel sick.

Imagine if you went to your doctor and said, I feel sick,

and without any other information,

he gives you a prescription for allergy medicine.

It's time to find a new doctor.

While this might seem far-fetched,

this can happen pretty often in the IT world.

We're so in the habit of fixing things

that sometimes we try to fix something

without diagnosing it first.

We're going to give you the tools you need to develop

good troubleshooting habits.

No matter how big or small the problem

is, the first thing to do in troubleshooting

is ask questions.

There are a lot of factors that can cause a problem.

You want to make sure you gather all your data

before you start to tinker with it.

Over the next several videos, we're

going to demonstrate real-world, in-person, and remote

troubleshooting scenarios.

For the in-person scenarios, you'll meet Gail and Marty.

And yes, we have another Marty joining us,

but he spells his name with a y, and I spell mine with an I--

confusing, I know.

Please keep in mind, these are not professional actors.

We want to give you the opportunity

to see how these different scenarios would play out

in real-world settings.

Let's look at a quick scenario of

a not-so-awesome troubleshooting interaction and an awesome one.

GAIL: My computer's broken.

MARTY: Ooh, this looks bad.

I think you're going to need a new computer.

It's going to be about $1,000.

GAIL: My computer's broken.

MARTY: Ooh, can you tell me a little bit more

about how it's broken?

Does it turn on at all?

Has there been any damage to it lately that you know of?

GAIL: Well, when I hit the power button, I hear a ding,

but nothing comes up on screen.

MARTY: Oh, OK.

Can I take a look?

GAIL: Sure.

MARTY: OK, let me just see what's going on here.

You know what, the brightness was turned down.

These brightness buttons are a little bit fiddly,

and it's easy to hit them by accident.

So there you are.

GAIL: Great, thank you.

MARTY: You're welcome.

MARTI CLARK: If we didn't ask follow-up questions,

we wouldn't have realized the issue was

something a small as the screen being dim.

It's important that you're able to gather enough information

to start troubleshooting an issue,

whether it's big or small.

With a little digging, we're able to understand

the situation and effectively troubleshoot the issue.

What's also really important to call out from this scenario

is the tech didn't make the user feel

silly for not realizing the screen's brightness was down.

Can you think about a time someone made

you feel silly or even dumb?

It's a pretty terrible feeling, so don't be that person that

does it to someone else.

Remember, IT support is about working

in the service of others.

Always try to create a positive experience for the user.

We'll deep dive into customer service later on.

In the meantime, I'll see you back

in the next video on isolating the problem.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Now that we have the ask questions approach nailed down,

let's cover another effective troubleshooting method,

isolating the problem.

The goal of this method is to shrink the scope

of the potential issue.

Let's start with a simple game.

I have a number I'm thinking of that's less than 100.

Can you figure out what it is?

You have five questions you can ask me.

As you might have guessed, just guessing a number

isn't the way to go.

Is it 5?

No.

Is it 7?

No.

Your odds of figuring it out this way are super low.

Instead, you should be shrinking the scope

of where the number could be.

So you could ask, is it greater than 50?

No.

OK, so we know the number is 50 or less.

We've just isolated our problem and cut down half

of the answers we started with.

To narrow the scope further, you could ask,

is it greater than 25?

Yes.

Is it greater than 38?

Yes.

Is it lower than 45?

Yes.

Is the number 42?

Yes, the number is 42.

Nice work.

The power of isolating a problem can quickly and effectively

help you figure out where the issue lies.

The isolate the problem method is

meant to shrink the scope of your problem

so that you know you're looking in the right area.

After you continually isolate the problem,

you'll eventually end up at the root cause.

Root cause is the main factor that's

causing a range of issues.

Finding root cause is a critical concept in IT

support because it means that you're

able to prevent an issue from happening again

and again to multiple users.

Sometimes, the root cause can be difficult to find

and extremely obscure.

Don't give up if it isn't immediately obvious.

Discovering root cause may be tedious,

but it's well worth the effort.

Now let's take a look at a not-so-good and a good example

of isolating the problem.

GAIL: Hi, Marty.

I can't get my email to work on my laptop

MARTY: Hi, Gail.

I'd be happy to help with that.

Somebody came in the other day with the same problem.

Let's uninstall and reinstall the application.

GAIL: It still doesn't work.

Hey, Marty.

I can't get my email to work on my laptop.

MARTY: Oh, hey, Gail.

Sure, I'd love to take a look at that.

Have you tried checking your mail on your phone or tablet

or something like that?

GAIL: No, it doesn't look like that's working either.

MARTY: Oh, let me try.

Wow, I can't get in either.

Let me look into this for a sec.

It appears that the email server is down.

The notice says that it's going to be

down for about another hour.

How about we wait an hour, try again,

and if you're still having problem, we can dig deeper.

GAIL: OK, thanks Marty.

MARTY: You're welcome, Gail.

MARTI CLARK: As you can see, it's

vital to use the isolating the problem method to decrease

the scope of the issue.

If you can rule out a problem area to look at,

you can troubleshoot more efficiently.

Another effective troubleshooting method

is called follow the cookie crumbs.

What purpose does this serve besides making

me want to devour a cookie?

Well, this method requires you to go back

when the problem first started and work forward from there.

You'd be surprised how much information

you can learn from asking, when did this problem start?

GAIL: Can you help me with my phone?

My Fun Cat app stopped working.

MARTY: Sure.

Now what do you mean by stopped working?

GAIL: Well, when I tap on the app, it starts to load

and then it crashes.

MARTY: Well, I'll take a look here.

OK, let's try reinstalling the app and see if that helps.

GAIL: It still crashes.

I need my Fun Cat app.

Can you help me with my phone?

My Fun Cat app stopped working.

MARTY: Sure, I'd be happy to.

Can you tell me a little bit more

about how it stopped working?

GAIL: Well, when I tap on the app,

it starts and it just crashes.

MARTY: Ooh, that's not good.

When did it start?

Have you changed anything since that time?

GAIL: Well, it worked last night,

and I was playing around with it until it started to update.

And this morning, it just didn't work.

MARTY: It might have something to do with the update.

Let me take a look into it.

Looks like there was a bug in the update.

We can roll back to an earlier version and see if that helps.

GAIL: Oh, Cuddly and Peanut, I missed you.

MARTI CLARK: The user can give you

information about what they remember,

but the systems you work with can also

offer insightful information.

In the earlier lessons about operating systems,

we talked about logs.

Remember that logs are like your system's diary.

They keep information about dates and events

that happened on the system.

You can dig through logs at the exact time

that a failure happened, and you may

find some defining events that could have caused your issue.

We'll get into logs in more detail in another course.

Error messages are super helpful indicators

that can point you in the right direction.

Lots of times, a single error will

be lost in a sea of errors.

It's best to start from the very first error, which may

be causing a cascade of errors.

By fixing the root error, you'll correct all the other ones

in the process.

Some errors don't require extra digging,

like 404 Not Found error you might

see on websites that have been moved or deleted,

or Permission Denied error when accessing a protected file.

Let's take a look at this log.

I see an error message here at the bottom.

Do you think it makes sense to try and figure out this error

message and resolve it?

You might find yourself spending all day trying

to fix these little holes.

Let's backtrack up the log a bit instead.

Oh, look.

We can see where an error first occurred.

Let's try to fix this.

And now our system isn't yelling at us anymore.

We've asked some great questions to understand our problem,

we've isolated our problem to an effective area,

and looked at our cookie crumbs.

Now it's time to start fixing the issue.

In the IT world, as in life, problems don't always

have one right answer.

When you troubleshoot an issue, you're

essentially trying to isolate it to the root cause.

To help you isolate an issue, you

need to try some remediation steps.

If they don't work, then you can rule those out as the cause.

So what's next?

Here's where the start with the quickest step first method

comes into play.

We want to get to a root cause effectively,

but sometimes there are multiple options we

can use to isolate something.

So how do we know which option to try first?

It's pretty simple-- try whatever is fastest first.

GAIL: I'm having a really weird issue with my software.

When I start it, it doesn't do anything,

and I just installed it.

MARTY: Interesting.

It might have gotten corrupted during installation.

Let's reinstall it again.

GAIL: It still does the same thing.

I'm having a really weird issue with my software.

When I start it, it doesn't do anything,

and I just installed it.

MARTY: Do you happen to remember if you restarted the computer

when you installed it?

GAIL: Oh, it works now.

MARTI CLARK: It's possible that, in this scenario,

a software reinstall could fix the issue.

It's also possible that a restart was the solution.

Since you can test a restart faster than a reinstall,

you should test the restart first.

You want to be able to troubleshoot and resolve issues

effectively and efficiently, so remember to start

with the quickest step first.

Your time and your user's time are important.

You've gained a lot of great foundational troubleshooting

skills, but there are some common pitfalls

that you should try to avoid in order

to be at the top of your troubleshooting game.

As an IT support specialist, you'll

sometimes encounter the same issue over and over again.

Before the next issue comes in, you

may find yourself using your muscle memory to fix the issue.

Pitfall number one-- going into autopilot.

Make sure you don't default to autopilot mode,

moving through issues out of habit

and without careful thought.

More often than not, there are small variables

that change the problem you're seeing entirely.

Ask questions, gather data so you can fully

understand an issue.

This takes less time than having to redo some sloppy work you

did in autopilot mode.

Pitfall number two-- not finding the root cause.

It's very easy to get distracted by small problems that pop up.

But it's super important to remember,

there's probably a very big problem causing

all these small problems.

Spend a little extra time investigating the issue

instead of trying to fix all the small holes.

If you're trying to do a quick fix,

it's tempting to wipe a system and start from scratch.

This approach is kind of using a hammer when a surgical scalpel

might be more appropriate tool.

Let's say a user isn't able to access a particular website.

Reimaging the system isn't a great solve.

It doesn't get to the root cause and it doesn't help further

your own knowledge.

Investigating the problem of it, testing out possible issues

and solutions incrementally, and identifying the root cause

can end up saving a lot of time and effort in the end,

and it feels really empowering as an IT support specialist.

And with that, you'll be able to go out in the real world

and use your new skills to methodically troubleshoot

an issue.

Have you ever worked hard on something

that had a lot of steps and took a long time only

to have to do it again 3 months later

and completely forgotten everything you did?

Well, that happens all the time in the IT world.

That's why it's important to document the work you do.

Documentation might seem like a time suck,

but it's a total timesaver.

There are two main ways we document information

in the IT industry.

The first is through a ticketing or bug system.

Tickets are common way of documenting an issue.

Bugs are issues with the system that weren't

caused by an external source.

Imagine if every time something broke, you received an email.

That'd be hard to keep track of and not scalable at all.

The IT industry utilizes systems just

to keep track of this for you.

Some examples are Bugzilla, Jira, and Redmine.

These are all-in-one solutions that

help you track user issues, communicate with your users,

and provide updates.

A great way to use the system for documentation

is to update the ticket with what the issue is,

the steps and procedures you're trying to resolve,

and the solution you arrived at.

This is important for two reasons.

The first is that it keeps the user in the loop.

The second is that it helps you audit

your steps in case you need to go back and see what you did.

You can also write down procedures and policies

to create a documentation trail.

You have a lot of options of where

you want to write and store your documentation.

You can keep your policies and procedures

in a document, web page, through online file storage,

or lots of other mediums.

Just make sure it's accessible to everyone

else in your company.

If you have a monthly reoccurring task,

like updating old software on machines,

make sure to write down all the steps

and then refer back to them when it's needed.

Documentation isn't a set it and forget it situation.

Systems and processes are constantly changing,

and so should your documentation.

It's important to update documentation

so that you aren't reading something that's old.

One last thing I want to call out about writing documentation

is that you don't need to get creative with your writing.

You aren't writing a short story.

You're writing a technical document.

You want to be as concise as possible

so that when someone reads your document,

they can easily figure out what they need to do.

Let's take a look at examples of good and not-so-good

documentation.

Here's the deal.

You encounter a strange issue when helping a user out.

This issue happens so often that you and your colleagues

have encountered it.

No documentation is the worst documentation.

Imagine if it took you hours to figure out

an issue to a problem, and you didn't write it down.

Your colleague encounters the same issue

and takes hours to figure it out.

Then, he also doesn't write it down.

This can go on and on.

It only takes a little bit of effort to create documentation

and it can save you so much of your time, your company's time,

and your user's time.

OK, this isn't the best example of documentation.

The problem the IT support specialist stated

isn't specific and it leaves you with more questions

than answers.

And while it tells you what will fix an issue,

it doesn't tell you how.

Documentation should be straight and clear-cut.

Your reader shouldn't have any questions

when following the instructions you listed.

Now this is the good example of documentation.

It starts off with a very specific and clear problem.

It gives you background information

on what the issue is.

It even gives you the exact instructions

on how to fix the issue, including which settings

to navigate to and where.

Remember, always write documentation

that makes it easy for your reader to follow.

Now that we've talked a little bit

about documenting processes, let's talk about how

you'll write documentation in ticketing or bug systems.

You don't have to leave a full example of process

documentation for every ticket you handle.

If you encounter the same issue, just write the documentation

once, then refer back to it.

One of the more important aspects of writing

documentation in a ticket or bug is that you leave an audit

trail to see what worked and what didn't.

Let's take a look at some examples

of awesome documentation and not so awesome

documentation in ticketing and bug systems.

This isn't helpful at all, since we

don't know what the issue was or what the IT support

specialist did to fix it.

If someone stumbled upon this ticket with the same issue,

it would be pretty useless.

This is an example of a great ticket documentation.

The tech described what the issue

is, what caused the issue, and the specific

steps they took to resolve it.

SPEAKER 1: Congratulations on finishing this lesson

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