My first documentation project was on a product based on business intelligence domain. The lessons that I learned from this project are as follows:
1. Creating a template: Think of all the styles that would be needed in the document. Write down the styles and see that they are created if not already present. Use the pre-built style names for headings (Heading 1, Heading 2…). In MS Word, this is advisable so that cross-references can be created directly and not through bookmarks.

2. Interacting with the Subject Matter Experts (SME): It is very important to gather information from the SMEs to prepare documents. SMEs are usually very busy people hence they might not be able to give enough time to gather all the information. Within the short span of time allocated, collect as much information as possible. This is possible by preparing a list of requirements needed from the SMEs before the meeting. Always be patient and polite to the SMEs.

3. Writing project emails: Greet the recipient with Hello: [Never use informal greetings like “Hi there” to address any one in a formal email.]. The email content should be concise, conversational, error free and focused. It is good to use the same e-mail thread and subject for the same topic. Send gentle reminder emails to the SMEs when they do not reply to the queries.

4. Writing procedures: A good procedure is accurate, brief, and should communicate what readers necessary to know. To write a procedure for a product, it should be tested. All procedures should start with a lead sentence. One step is used to indicate one action. Always write actions in the order in which they happen.

5. Graphics: Always check that the type of graphic captured is what the client wants—for example, gif, jpg, png. Place all graphics in a separate directory under the document directory.

6. Copying text from one template to another: Always copy the text from the document in to a notepad file and then paste it in the new template. This will help to remove all the styles that belong to the old template.

7. Check document before sending it for reviews and final submission: Have a checklist of items that need to be done before the document is sent out. For example, the name of the file must adhere to file naming conventions, there should be captions for all tables and graphics, always update the TOC and index just before the document is finalized.