TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:RE: SDLC and role of Tech.Writers From:"walden miller" <wmiller -at- vidiom -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 23 Apr 2002 10:31:26 -0600
Keith writes:
I think this in part a management question, and one that often gets
neglected.
If you manage a doc team, or in any way can influence the decision making
process, you do yourself and your team a disservice if you do not try to
establish a place for documentation within the SDLC.
...
Walden:
I have been a docs manager for 17 years. I have always taken a different
tact by trying to insist that the SDLC is only part of the PDLC (product
DLC). If the emphasis is on product, then docs almost always are included
throughout the process--including marketing and productization issues. The
problem is to get engineering-centric companies to become product--centric
companies. The issue must be addressed at the executive level. If the VP
of Engineering is "running" the company, then whatever the VP thinks the
place of documentation in any cycle ends up being the place of
documentation.
If the VP of Engineering is really an equal with the VPs of Marketing,
Operations, Services, etc. AND the emphasis is on product, then
documentation can actually make headway where it makes sense.
This is a harder road, but more profitable in the long run.
This strategy also requires a recasting of the standard set of arguments for
documentation. BUT it is a good recasting. When you make arguments for
product quality, you speak to the health of the company. The only arguments
against these type of arguments are priority and resources. These arguments
are handled differently if not confined to a software process.
just my .02
walden
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Are you using Doc-to-Help or ForeHelp? Switch to RoboHelp for Word for $249
or to RoboHelp Office for only $499. Get the PC Magazine five-star rated
Help authoring tool for less! Go to http://www.ehelp.com/techwr
Free copy of ARTS PDF Tools when you register for the PDF
Conference by April 30. Leading-Edge Practices for Enterprise
& Government, June 3-5, Bethesda,MD. www.PDFConference.com
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
