What if setup issues could be solved before they even started? Ravi found that reverse-documenting the process and using containers was the key to tackling the setup problems no one talks about.
Ravi, the Team Lead, sat at his desk one evening, reviewing the setup process for the client’s project. His team had just joined the project, and their task was clear: replicate the client’s setup on their end to start working on the project.
While this seemed straightforward, Ravi knew from past experiences that setup issues could often cause delays, especially when the environment wasn’t mirrored similarly. The client had a well-established setup, but as an offshore team, replicating this environment could be tricky.
There were always communication hurdles and occasional misunderstandings. The setup documentation was sparse, and without a perfect match between the two environments, small issues could escalate into frustrating troubleshooting sessions. Ravi’s team had already encountered a few hiccups that slowed them down.
“Why is it always so tough to get the setup right?” Ravi muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples. As he sat there, looking at the team’s work, a thought struck him…
…What if we could make the setup process easier? What if we could replicate the client’s environment more efficiently, reducing these issues right from the start?
That thought lingered with him as the weekend approached. To unwind, Ravi and his team participated in an escape room challenge. As they entered the dimly lit room, the team’s goal was clear: solve the puzzles and escape before time ran out.
Ravi had done escape rooms before, but this time, he noticed something different. The team worked through each puzzle by analyzing the clues and breaking them down, retracing their steps to find the correct answers. It clicked for Ravi. The team wasn’t just solving puzzles in the escape room—they were reverse-engineering the process.
They were deconstructing each piece to figure out where things went wrong, retracing every clue until the path forward became clear. It dawned on him that this approach could solve their setup problem too. What if they applied the same reverse-engineering mindset to the client’s environment? What if they could reverse document the setup, making it clear for his team and easy to replicate?
The next day, Ravi gathered his team and proposed a new approach. “We’re going to use containers to replicate the client’s setup,” he said, “but there’s more…
… We’re going to reverse-document the entire setup process, just like we did in the escape room. We’ll break down every step, document it, and then share it back with the client.
The team was intrigued and eager to give it a try. Containers offered a perfect solution. They would create an environment that mirrored the client’s setup, but it would be portable and easy to replicate
Once the setup was done, if any issues came up, they could simply run the setup in the container and see exactly what went wrong.
As the DevOps team got to work, they began reverse-engineering the setup by speaking with the client. Every detail of the setup was documented thoroughly, step by step. They made sure to share the documentation with the client, too, ensuring that everyone was on the same page. This way, if any issues arose, the client could simply refer to the setup documentation, and Ravi’s team could follow the same steps to resolve them independently.
The containers made troubleshooting even easier. Once the setup was ready, Ravi’s team could quickly replicate the environment on their end. Any issue that came up could be tested in the container. They would run the setup, see the issue, and resolve it—all without needing constant back-and-forth with the client. No more waiting for approval, no more emails back and forth.
“Yeh kaafi smooth lag raha hai (This is looking pretty smooth),” one of the team members said as they ran the first test. “We can resolve issues in minutes rather than hours!” As the weeks went by, the new process paid off. Troubleshooting sessions with the client were now limited to brief meetings—three hours the first week, two hours the second week, and just one hour the third week.
This reduction in troubleshooting time made a huge difference.
The team could focus on delivering results faster instead of getting bogged down with endless setup issues. It also allowed the client’s team to feel more confident, knowing that they could troubleshoot and resolve issues on their own with the documentation and containers in place…
… The results were immediate. Ravi’s team was able to save significant time, reducing initial troubleshooting efforts by 10% in the first two months
The project was moving forward smoothly, and the client’s team had more trust in Ravi’s team’s ability to handle setup and troubleshooting independently. The stress and frustration of constant setup-related issues had dissipated, and the project was back on track. Ravi leaned back in his chair, satisfied with the progress. The escape room experience had given him more than just a fun team-building moment—it had sparked an idea that helped solve a long-standing issue. By reverse-documenting the setup and using containers, they had eliminated the dependency on constant troubleshooting and communication with the client.
If you’re tired of wasting time on endless setup troubleshooting and want a smoother, faster way to handle your project setups, consider using reverse documentation and containers.
Reach out today to learn how this approach can help your team save time, reduce friction, and accelerate your project’s progress.
