1-98 (March 1998) Consulting by Rini Weijmann

Industry considers technical documentation as a subordinate matter. The documentation department is usually involved late in the product development process. The result: technical documentation spoils the planned time-to-market. The company loses market share and a loss of profit mounts up to 30% over the product’s total life cycle. Market trends indicate that this can be improved with the introduction of integrated documentation development, speeding time-to-market by 40%.

 

Improved Time-to-Market Can Increase Market Share

Management consultants like Arthur D. Little and McKinsey have investigated the internal business factors that influence total profit on a product. Their main conclusion: if a product exceeds its predicted market release date by 10%, it will miss 25% to 30% of its forecast profit over the product’s total life cycle. Innovative companies speed up time-to-market continuously: they recognize that to lose time means to lose market position.

 

Technical Documentation Can Cause a Bottle-neck in Product Readiness

If the documentation department is involved too late in the product development process, the crucial time-to-market is lengthened because unforeseen activities often have to be carried out giving even less time to prepare changes in the product documentation. In addition, recent (European) directives pay much attention to requirements for technical (user) information, which increases documentation preparation time.

 

Integrated Documentation Development = Effective Project Management

Integrated documentation development means that the documentation product development process must run parallel with the product development process. This results in a simultaneous availability of the product and its (multi-lingual) user information. Practice shows that implementation of integrated documentation development can result in a 40% reduction of the time required for documentation development, a 40% improvement in efficiency, and a 30% reduction in costs.

How are these results achieved? Which parameters are responsible for these improvements?

 

Changing the Documentation Development Process

The reduction in running time is primarily based on changes in the documentation development process itself. Previously, the documentation development process was sequential, starting about half way through the product development process. Each part of the process - writing, translating, layout and production - did not start until after the previous part was finished. As a consequence the technical documentation often was not available on the product release date and so time-to-market was delayed.

Introduction of a parallel process for documentation development, with each part started at an appropriate time for that part to be completed on time, shortens the overall running time, and the product and its documentation are available at the forecast product release date.

Simultaneous preparation of the whole documentation development process in parallel is also essential. Common milestones are determined for both processes and common review meetings are organised regularly to monitor progress.

Similarly, suppliers of services to the documentation development process, like translation agencies and printing houses, are integrated into the total picture and are considered members of the documentation development team. They are also continuously updated on the planning and progress of the project.

Making all this happen means implementing effective project management. Documentation development is divided into a number of projects, with each of them headed by a project leader. Contemporary information technology tools are used to implement process planning and make the required knowledge of the product and its development accessible for everyone involved.

 

Introducing Project Management

To reduce misunderstandings and overlap of functions, and to prevent ‘reinventing the wheel,’ a summary of the proposed contents of each document is prepared and approved by the project management team. This helps identify existing text that may be re-used. Similarly, any changes have to be processed through a change order procedure process. These steps also result in cost reductions, such as:

• Fewer staff hours per project
• Higher efficiency per staff hour
• Delivery of all languages as a one-time "package" to the printing office
• Suppliers do not have ‘empty hours’ on the account.

Consequently, forecasting and cost control also become an integral part of project planning.

 

STIC Meetings On Integrated Documentation Development

I realise that this is only a very short summary of integrated documentation development. The implementation of the process as described here takes time and effort, but the results make it of great value. The Dutch Society for Technical Information and Communication (STIC) will be organizing meetings on Integrated Documentation Development throughout 1998 . I gave the first, general introductory lecture, which is now being followed by presentations by other professionals who are focusing on particular aspects of the process.

 

Now, start your computer and share with us what you know about this subject!

You can contribute your opinion to TC-Forum or, if you are impatient, contact us by email. We will be eagerly waiting for your information!

STIC is anxious to know

• Are you interested in integrated documentation development?
• How far has your company progressed in implementing the principles of this process?
• Should we consider organising an international workshop?

For Information on the STIC-meetings ‘integrated documentation development’ contact the

Studiekring Technische Informatie en Communicatie (STIC)
Tel + 31 40 2756819
Fax +31 40 2755546
http://www.sara.nl/stic [link brokan as of 13 Jan 00 - AvO]
Multimedia Science and Businesspark Eindhoven
P.O Box 406
NL-5600 AK Eindhoven
The Netherlands

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