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How about how you can position the documentation group to help with return
rates, support costs, and other money specific activities in your company?
That is what I would want to see if I were your executives.
In other words, what does documentation add to the bottom money line of the
company? I don't necessarily see what impact online help will have on the
bottom line. It may, but I am not sure that I see it.
Make the money case for what ever it is you are doing. If you spend X
dollars printing an admin manual, what Y dollars reduction in support costs
or return rates can you expect to see?
If you spend X dollars developing online training, how is that going to add
to the bottom line? Will that training be sold to customers? How often will
it be updated (maybe your development process is such that the training will
need to be updated every month, eating money) vs how many times a
month/quarter will the training be offered and how many butts can be
expected in the chairs for the training?
These are the questions your company executives want the business case for.
Provide them.
-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-71429 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-71429 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com]On Behalf Of Jim
Shaeffer
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2003 9:04 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Thinking Strategically about Documentation
I have been challenged to "think strategically" about documentation.
This year, I'm invited to participate in our company's Long Range
Planning. This means a presentation about my area and where it could or
should be three years from now.
What would you focus on? What would you want to say?
In case your interested:
I'm already gathering feedback from our customers about changes they
might like to see in our docs.
I'm in the loop with our development team and management. (I don't get
blindsided more than three times a week.<grin>)
The bottom line will be the bottom line. Our management is all about the
business case and working the plan.
The things I'm producing:
Windows Help for users.
Printed documents for system administrators.
HTML pages providing Help for Internet applications.
Content for Web pages.
Computer-based training keeps coming up as a possibility.
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