A workflow is a defined sequence of activities for getting work done. For a development team, documenting that sequence helps people coordinate their work, spot delays or confusion, and understand what happens next. A useful guide reflects how the team actually works rather than assuming that one process fits every team. section 5.1.1 section 5.1.3
To document and maintain a development workflow:
- Ask team members how work currently moves and where they encounter delays or confusion. Write the process as a clear, step-by-step guide. section 5.1.1
- Make the guide available alongside related documentation, such as coding standards and deployment processes. section 5.1.1
- Review the process regularly, invite suggestions from the whole team, and record both changes and the reasons for them. section 6.4.3
A workflow for a new developer
An onboarding guide might explain how to handle bugs, review and merge code, test changes, and deploy code. It can point separately to the deployment process for problems that arise during a release. The exact guide should match the organization and project. section 5.1.3
Keep the workflow current as the team learns. New teams may benefit from reviewing it during and after deployments; revising process documentation before launch can also help avoid launch-day errors. Outdated processes can hold a team back even if they worked well before. section 6.4.3 section 2.1.4
