RE: Justifying a tech. writer?

["Guru Kamath" <guru -at- bom5 -dot- vsnl -dot- net -dot- in>]

Hello!

Programmers hate documenting!  It is regarded as a punishment.  Recently, an
Indian programmer came back from USA because he was assigned to do
documentation!

One of the big problems with Programmers doing their own documentation is
that they cannot see their own errors. A lousy interface will get documented
as an excellent interface! I remember being briefed by a programmer on how
he was going to do the interface.  It did not make any sense to me. I was
brave enough to write how the interface ought to be. On review, the CEO
(from USA!) congratulated me and told me that they had changed the user
interface based on what I had written. (In another case -- I gave the
company some 100 suggestions-- and they implemented all of them!)

Programmers are not in touch with customers.  Similarly, they may know only
one part or module of the system.  Only technical writers have a holistic
perspective of the software.  Also technical writers can see the program
from the front of the screen -- programmers know the internals. Programmers
have a functional perspective, whereas technical writers have a
task-oriented or user (customer) focus.

Technical writers can work with a variety of tools and on different
platforms. They can deliver results in a variety of media: printed docs,
online help, java help, web help, multimedia presentations, web stuff, HTML,
SGML, XML, etc.

Technical writing as a profession is evolving and there are specialists in
areas like: Marketing Communication, Proposal Writing, Policies and
Procedures, API Documentation, Knowledge Management, Single Sourcing,
Database Publishing, and Instructional Design.

Technical writers would be more cost effective not only in terms of the
price difference (cheaper than programmers) but also in terms of faster
delivery, better delivery, better practices, range of services, etc.

Technical writers are valuable in Usability issues, User Interface
Designing, and testing.  They provide an unbiased eye to user interface
design and other usability matters.

Technical writers can be the common link for different departments --
Marketing, Customer Support, Help Desk, Programming, Press Relations, etc.
They can provide valuable support to all these departments.

Technical writers can serve as a link between the company (departments) and
the customers.  They can serve as a very valuable buffer between demanding
customers and a company hard pressed to provide all these demands!

Technical writing has evolved as an art and science.  We have document
design, indexing, style, fonts, translation, internationalization,
localization, usability, human factors engineering, instructional design.
Research in technical writing is changing the way we write --
minimialization, task orientation, customer focus, user-centered design,
etc.

Simply, let specialists do specialist jobs.

But I think the last word on justifying a technical writer is Quality and
Results.  If you have Quality manuals, they can win over customers.  Quality
manuals mean lesser support, lesser maintenance and support costs, and
lesser training costs. Effective documentation will win customers and
deliver results (better usage of the system, usage of more functions,
increasing appeal of your systems, lesser problems and defects)

Guru
guru -at- bom5 -dot- vsnl -dot- net -dot- in