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Subject:RE: This too is technical communication From:"Condo, Candis" <ccondo -at- c-cor -dot- com> To:<richard -dot- melanson -at- us -dot- tel -dot- com>, <kevindamery -at- gmail -dot- com> Date:Tue, 5 Jun 2007 14:10:06 -0700
True. I was in a similar situation where I was a contract writer at one company which was doing work for IBM. We had quarterly, walk-through reviews of the docs (which passed with flying colors). The IBM folks were dressed in dark, navy business suits (including the woman manager) and I also wore a suit but not navy :-).
However, in over 26 years in the hi-tech industry as both a writer and a manager that is the ONLY time I have seen docs viewed as that significant to customer satisfaction. It's all been downhill from there.
Candis L Condo
________________________________
From: techwr-l-bounces+ccondo=c-cor -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com on behalf of richard -dot- melanson -at- us -dot- tel -dot- com
Sent: Tue 6/5/2007 11:33 AM
To: kevindamery -at- gmail -dot- com
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: This too is technical communication
You guys think $375,999.00 is enough to get a companies attention?? I worked at a semiconductor company for 19 years and IBM held this amount back until we had the PM Manuals and Op Manuals updated. I was assigned the project and was under some MAJOR scrutiny both internally and at IBM. IBM then reviewed the manuals before releasing the money for payment. So is Technical Writing important, sure as hell is at IBM.
Rick
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+richard -dot- melanson=us -dot- tel -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+richard -dot- melanson=us -dot- tel -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Kevin Amery
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 2:17 PM
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: This too is technical communication
On 6/5/07, Pinkham, Jim <Jim -dot- Pinkham -at- voith -dot- com> wrote:
> With all due deference to those who believe
> otherwise, I don't think the fact that it's not the sole or chief
> determinant of an initial choice to buy a product is really the point.
>
It was pointed out earlier that companies who don't make a point of
doing better with their documentation now won't change until it starts
affecting their revenues. If documentation isn't something that
customers use to determine which product to buy, then these companies
aren't going to see any reason to change--therefore, they'll continue
to hire TWs based on their rates or other criteria rather than the
quality of docs they produce.
> Customers come into
> Best Buy (to revisit that example) more often than you might suspect to
> complain about indecipherable or internally inconsistent instructions.
Sure, but Best Buy didn't produce the docs, and the manufacturer
already got the sale. No impetus for change there.
> Savvy manufacturers recognize this and the best work hard to
> intentionally make their documentation as clear, uncomplicated, and
> user-friendly as possible.
Absolutely, but the original point was "why can't we get rid of bad
documentation?" Answer, because some (too many) companies *don't* see
it as an investment in their profitability.
It's a bit like the Dilbert where Dilbert tells the boss that he's
found a way to save the company a billion dollars for an initial cost
of ten thousand. The boss denies the request because the ten thousand
comes out of his budget and the one billion will get credited to
another department.
--
Until next time...
Kevin Amery
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