A single source of truth: Why you need one for team processes

Reading time: about 7 min

Since 2020, more companies have had to find new ways to do business to accommodate hybrid teams with employees working remotely and onsite. With team members spread out in various locations, managers face the challenge of keeping the team focused on the same goals, using the same processes, and following the same procedures.

To keep everybody on the same page, you need to make sure that all processes, procedures, styles, branding guidelines, etc., are well documented and up to date. Then you need to be sure that your team has access to these documents no matter where they are. 

For example, let’s say that the colors representing your company’s brand have changed. These changes are communicated to the entire company, but the document that describes and outlines the changes is only available on a server that the marketing team can access. This makes it difficult for members of other teams to get updated branding information they need for developing application interfaces, user documentation, websites, etc.

You could send a copy of the updated document to the people who need it, but then you end up with multiple copies in multiple locations. When updates are made to the original document, those changes do not make it into the various copies, and it is difficult to determine which document is the correct version. So you might end up with different teams using outdated logo designs, color schemes, fonts, and so on.

What you need is a way for everybody in your company to be able to easily access the information they need. In other words, you need a single source of truth. 

What does a single source of truth mean?

A single source of truth (SSOT) is basically the practice of taking your company’s data from all of its different systems and aggregating that data in one location. The idea is to make all of your company’s data and knowledge accessible from a common reference point.

Setting up a SSOT can help you to avoid the confusion that comes from having multiple versions of the same document living in multiple locations. And it ensures that all team members have easy access to the most current and up-to-date information they need to get their work done.