Change Control for Documentation

[Beth Agnew]

What change control methods do you use for documentation in your 
organization? In draft stages, I incorporate feedback, corrections and 
changes into subsequent drafts, but as we get closer to deadline, I 
typically go to a "bug priority" method that parallels those used in 
software development. Anything considered a "showstopper", in that it 
would cause the user trouble if left unchanged in (or left out of) the 
final manual gets immediate attention and may even affect release date. 
Other changes that are important but not particularly urgent may get 
into the current manual or be prioritized for the next edition, 
depending on how close we are to release. Nice-to-haves are incorporated 
into the next version of the documentation.

I'm sure there are variations on the above. What have you found to work 
in your shop?
--Beth

Beth Agnew
Professor, Technical Communication
Seneca College, Toronto