Making a business case for documentation
Ravi Murugesan — 
Lana Novikova A comprehensive 10-post series providing documentation advocates with the tools, frameworks, and strategies needed to secure organizational buy-in and resources for documentation initiatives
Documentation is often viewed as a cost center rather than a strategic investment, making it challenging to secure resources even when the need is clear. This series transforms that narrative by providing a structured, evidence-based approach to demonstrate documentation’s tangible business value.
Whether you’re a technical writer, developer, product manager, or team lead, this series equips you with practical frameworks to build compelling business cases that resonate with decision-makers at every level.
How to use this series
For first-time readers: Start with Post 1 and progress sequentially through the foundation posts (1-3) before diving into the business benefits (posts 4-6) and implementation guidance (7-10).
For experienced advocates: Jump directly to the posts most relevant to your current challenge, whether that’s calculating ROI (Post 8), handling objections (Post 10), or tailoring presentations to specific stakeholders (Post 9).
The complete series
Post 1: Understanding good documentation
What is good documentation and when do you need a business case?
Establishes the fundamental definition of "good documentation" and identifies scenarios where a formal business case becomes essential for securing resources and organizational support.
Key takeaways: Definition framework, business case triggers, foundational concepts
Read: Making a business case for good documentation
Post 2: Know your company’s goals
Aligning documentation strategy with business objectives
Demonstrates how documentation supports different business strategies and which metrics matter most to your organization’s specific goals and priorities.
Key takeaways: Strategic alignment, business strategies, relevant KPIs, goal-oriented messaging
Read: Know your company’s goals
Post 3: Assess the current state of your documentation
Evaluating existing documentation to build evidence for change
Provides systematic approaches for analyzing your current documentation landscape and gathering concrete evidence to support your improvement proposals.
Key takeaways: Assessment frameworks, evidence gathering, baseline establishment
Read: Access the current state of your documentation
Post 4: Learn how documentation drives revenue and traffic
How documentation generates growth and competitive advantage
Reveals the direct connections between quality documentation and revenue generation through reduced sales cycles, enhanced self-service capabilities, and improved customer trust.
Key takeaways: Revenue impact metrics, sales cycle optimization, trust building
Read: Learn how documentation drives revenue and traffic
Post 5: Learn how documentation saves costs
Documentation’s impact on operational efficiency and expenses
Demonstrates how strategic documentation investments reduce support costs, minimize technical debt, and decrease training expenses across the organization.
Key takeaways: Cost reduction strategies, efficiency gains, resource optimization
Read: Learn how documentation saves costs
Post 6: Learn how documentation mitigates risks
Protecting against knowledge loss and ensuring compliance
Explores how documentation serves as organizational insurance against knowledge loss, supports legal compliance, and enhances overall business resilience.
Key takeaways: Risk mitigation strategies, compliance requirements, business continuity
Read: Learn how documentation mitigates risks
Post 7: Build your business case step-by-step
Assembling your research into a compelling proposal
Transforms your gathered data and insights into a structured, persuasive business case with clear scope definition, problem identification, and solution mapping.
Key takeaways: Business case structure, proposal assembly, solution frameworks
Read: Build your business case step-by-step
Post 8: Calculate the ROI of documentation
Quantifying documentation value with concrete metrics
Provides a practical 4-step process for calculating return on investment through support ticket reduction, traffic conversion, and measurable efficiency gains.
Key takeaways: ROI calculation methods, quantification strategies, financial metrics
Read: Calculate the ROI of documentation
Post 9: Present and defend your case
Tailoring presentations to different stakeholder groups
Master class in customizing your pitch for various audiences, from line managers focused on team efficiency to C-level executives concerned with strategic impact.
Key takeaways: Stakeholder-specific messaging, presentation strategies, audience customization
Read: Present and defend your case
Post 10: Prepare to deal with objections
Turning pushback into progress with data-driven responses
Anticipates and addresses every common objection with prepared, evidence-based responses that keep your documentation proposal moving forward.
Key takeaways: Objection handling, counter-arguments, negotiation strategies
Read: Prepare to deal with objections
Text of article ©2025 Ravi Murugesan, Lana Novikova
Released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)