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The product managers need to prioritize the levels and types of
documentation required by each product. A lot of companies think that
because Product A rolled out with a suite of documents, then Product B
needs the same suite, even if the intended user base is different.
"Just because we've always done this" is not a good reason to
perpetuate the crazy cycle.
I would also push for more content reuse, and for more content
generation by engineers, especially in the case of highly technical
information. Some great advice can be found in Robert Levy's
presentation on "Flying Solo: When you're the only one with a pencil" http://savethesemicolon.com/2010/05/10/sole-writer-in-a-company/ -
yes... I watched the whole thing. You'll love the changes to his
response when asked to take on more than physically possible.
Regarding scrum, since stand-up meetings are only supposed to be 15
minutes to discuss status and roadblocks, make sure the master knows
to keep discussions on track: problems are only to be identified, but
not solved (or even hashed), during these meetings.
If you have multiple conflicting meetings, ask to have your say first
to point out what you need, then get back to work.
Personally, I hate meetings with a passion, but I enjoy participating
in the development of the product. I've found that from a core
documentation perspective, I cut a lot of corners by supplying the
engineers with templates for their requirements, specifications, and
design docs.
Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help.
Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try
Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days. http://www.doctohelp.com
LavaCon 2010 in San Diego Sept 29 - Oct 2 is now open for registration.
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