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I agree with the comments below, but with the additional suggestion to
review documents for consistency, redundancy, and usefulness during the
process.
So for example: We create X types of documents. We have x number of these
documents for each product.
I would avoid starting with an outside template. Instead review what you
have, and build outward. Then you can start thinking about how to revise it.
You may find that you want to eliminate some kinds of documents, take
documents from one product and repurpose or create similar for another
product, etc.
Sounds like a fun project, if done systematically. Just make sure you get
the time to do it right.
On Fri, Jul 28, 2017 at 4:24 PM, Peter Neilson <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>
wrote:
> I'm just shooting from the top of my mixed metaphor here, but triage would
> seem to be in order. It's obvious that one cannot do everything at once,
> but one certainly can create lists of the documents, answering as you go
> the questions of what is it, what do customers do with it (and how do we
> know what they do), how obsolete is it, who is in charge of it, and all
> that good stuff. News writers used to call that kind of collection of data
> the 5 Ws and the H.
>
> Your result should be three lists. (1) Needs to be updated yesterday or
> sooner; (2) Would be nice to make it right, eventually; (3) Nobody even
> wants to care or worry about it.
>
> Prioritize list (1).
>
> On Fri, 28 Jul 2017 15:14:46 -0400, Jim <jameswitkin -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
>
> Hello, well I met our new Director today. I work in a small product
>> management group as the documentation manager along with three product
>> line
>> managers. I mentioned to the new Director that the documentation could use
>> review by a "fresh set of eyes" to ensure we are creating the right types
>> of documents for the right audiences. Me and my big mouth. He replied,
>> "great, why don't you come up with a new documentation plan that we can
>> review." Anyone know where I can find a good template to work from? This
>> would be a plan for our entire documentation set, not for a specific
>> project like a new software release. Any ideas?
>>
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