The more I work in small-medium companies that act as ASPs (application service provider, i.e. we host servers that our clients use), the more I realize there comes a point where process outweighs getting things done.
Instead of fielding requests as they come in and just getting the work done, change management starts to tickle the back of the throat and more and more, documentation and process need to be invoked. When a request comes in, a process is begun to deal with that request and tie it into any other processes.
For example, an SSL renewal is not just an SSL renewal anymore. Not only does it need to take place on the web server, but the new SSL needs to be imported into our IDS/IPS to decrypt the traffic. While one person doing all of this can keep track of it, eventually as growth continues, multiple people doing these things means they may possibly get lost. Ack! …And this is one of the simple ones.
What makes all of this even more fun is the propensity for people to want to avoid documentation and process and change management. It slows things down and sometimes brings out some weaknesses in how people document and write and attend to detail. In fact, out of about 25 IT people I have worked with extensively, only about 4 have not heavily resisted these tasks (this includes.
This is kind of a reason I include a line on my resume below my college degree that states I have also have a background in “environmental sciences.” There is nothing like lab work in genetics, biology, physics, or chemistry to ground oneself in documenting observations and drawing valid conclusions which can be recreated and clearly conveyed to others. Having had an interesting 2.5 years of that work, it does make a difference when troubleshooting networks and documenting process.