Avoiding documentation bottlenecks while maintaining quality

[SB <sylvia -dot- braunstein -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Our company is growing extremely fast. Most of the time, we have to write
the documentation pretty much while the product is being developed and
undergoes quality assurance.

Prioritization is generally set by the Marketing Manager. The documentation
is one of the requirements for product delivery and many products are being
developed simultaneously. Documentation is often becoming a bottleneck.

What is the best way to meet the deadlines (management-wise) without
sacrificing quality or contents and without being a slave driver? How do I
avoid bottlenecks and get the work done well and efficiently?

I guess we probably need more Technical Writers. I do face resistance and
sometimes I too am resistant too because I feel that the document is not
ready or good enough. Do I want to have my cake and eat it too?

When do you decide that a document is good enough and make your "staff"
understand that the documentation is part of the product requirement and
that documentation cannot be a bottleneck.

I don't want to be a slave driver but do want to be able to meet the
deadlines. It is really not good when a product cannot be delivered and the
company loses money because the documentation is not ready.

Any input on how to optimize work (and management) would be greatly
appreciated.

Thanks,

Sylvia
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