Atlassian Confluence

Documentation is probably one of my least favourite parts of my role, but I would say in the last 1,5 years that I have been using Confluence it has definitely become a bit easier. I think this is the case because the platform has a very good way of standardizing the writing process and offering a set of different out of the box options in front of you. This definitely makes it easier to start typing, which is always the toughest part. Similarly, it offers you a number of different tools in order to help you release content that is comprehensible and that engages well with your internal audiences. For instance, it makes it pretty easy to embed images and video, which are both formats that perform better with sales users. In addition, it gives you an estimation of how much time will the reader need to go through your material but at the same time it allows you to insert expansions within your text, which save space and make your content more easily readable (it's the first tool that I have seen doing that). However, the biggest advantage by far is how effectively it centralizes the storage of knowledge within any organization (bigger or smaller) by enabling smooth cross-user collaboration and precise linking of different pages and Spaces.

Tight Jira integration which makes it easy to connect product requirements, decisions and documentation to actual work in progress. Flexible page templates and structure, allowing teams to document everything from PRDs to retros in a consistent but adaptable way. Strong collaboration features, like inline comments, version history, and permissions, which support cross-functional alignment without a lot of overhead.

1) Excellent integration with Jira Seamless linking between Jira issues, epics, and Confluence pages enables strong traceability between delivery and documentation, which is critical for PMOs and enterprise programs. 2) Flexible, living documentation Pages are easy to update, versioned automatically, and well suited for evolving artifacts such as decision logs, RAID registers, operating models, and SteerCo reporting. 3) Strong collaboration and transparency Commenting, mentions, page history, and permissions support cross-team collaboration and leadership visibility relying on static documents. 4) Extensive ecosystem of macros and add-ons Marketplace apps significantly extend Confluence for reporting, diagrams, tables, and structure content.

Although it is really simple and user-friendly to link pages together and create internal topic clusters, this could also turn to a disadvantage. By nesting many pages under the same topic, things can get really overwhelming pretty easily and users may find the tool more intimidating than useful, which is the exact opposite of what we are trying to achieve. Finding that right balance is as tricky as it is important. Similarly, if you rely on the search bar in order to find what you are looking for, you might be unpleasantly surprised as it is far from being precise yet. Another thing that I wish could be improved is the customization options for a single page. Here Confluence falls a bit short in comparison to a simple word doc because, due to offering a well-structured environment by default, it ends up being much more limiting in terms of design flexibility (e.g. page layout, styling and formatting options, graphics, etc.).

Content sprawl and weak information architecture, which makes long-term knowledge management difficult without heavy governance. Editor performance and UX quirks, especially on larger pages or when formatting complex content. Search relevance, which can be inconsistent, makes it harder to quickly find the most up-to-date information.

1) Limited native roll-up and aggregation capabilities Summarizing content across multiple pages or child pages often requires manual effort or marketplace apps. 2) Dashboarding for executives is not fully native Leadership-level dashboards and dynamic summaries typically require add-ons or custom page structures. 3) Content quality depends heavily on governance Without page templates and standards, spaces can quickly become inconsistent and hard to navigate. 4) Search relevance can degrade at scale In large instances, finding the right content depends on disciplined labeling and structure