Managing Documentation Projects in Nearly Any Environment
1 like585 views
The document discusses managing documentation projects. It introduces Sharon Burton as an expert in communication and content strategy who has 20 years of experience. The document then discusses Data Conversion Labs (DCL), who is hosting the webinar, and their services related to document digitization, conversion, and publishing. Finally, it covers best practices for planning documentation projects, including defining success, estimating timelines, and preparing content for multiple delivery channels.
Managing Documentation Projects in Nearly Any Environment
- 1. Managing documentation projects in nearly any environment Sharon Burton 951-369-8590 Twitter: sharonburton Sharon@sharonburton.com www.sharonburton.com
- 2. Thanks! ▪ Been in the Communication industry for 20 years ▪ Solve post-sales content problems ▪ Content consultant ▪ Teach communication at various universities
- 3. Supporting role today… DCL is supporting us today ▪ If you have questions, they will help you in the questions window ▪ Let’s say “Thank you” to Data Conversion Labs for hosting this webinar
- 4. Experience the DCL Difference ▪ DCL blends years of conversion experience with cutting-edge technology and the infrastructure to make the conversion process easy and efficient. ▪ World-Class Services ▪ Leading-EdgeTechnology ▪ Unparalleled Infrastructure ▪ US-Based Management ▪ Complex-Content Expertise ▪ 24/7 Online ProjectTracking ▪ Automated Quality Control ▪ Global Capabilities
- 5. Valuable ContentTransformed ▪ Document Digitization ▪ XML and HTML Conversion ▪ eBook Production ▪ Hosted Solutions ▪ Big Data Automation ▪ Conversion Management ▪ Editorial Services ▪ Harmonizer
- 6. Serving a Broad Client Base…
- 7. …Spanning all Industries ▪ Aerospace ▪ Associations ▪ Defense ▪ Distribution ▪ Education ▪ Financial ▪ Government ▪ Libraries ▪ Life Sciences ▪ Manufacturing ▪ Medical ▪ Museums ▪ Periodicals ▪ Professional ▪ Publishing ▪ Reference ▪ Research ▪ Societies ▪ Software ▪ STM ▪ Technology ▪ Telecommunications ▪ Universities ▪ Utilities
- 8. What is “User Content”? And the definition is probably changing as we talk
- 9. User content Content created to face the customer ▪ May be content your team or company is creating ▪ Maybe content your customers are creating ▪ Social media ▪ User forums ▪ Blogs ▪ Wikis ▪ Notes passed around the office ▪ More ▪ “Ad hoc”
- 10. Control over content Place Control User forums you host Y User forums you don’t host (LinkedIn, for example) N Your wiki Y Someone else’s wiki N Online help (including comments) Y Community blogs N Corporate blogs ? And so on
- 11. We don’t have enough to do We are increasingly being asked to be responsible for user generated content in some manner ▪ That which we have control over, we can ▪ But if we don’t have control… ▪ If you don’t have control, then stop looking at it ▪ It just makes you tense ▪ Customers are willing for “ad hoc” content be messy and ugly ▪ Or wrong ▪ Our content is the official content
- 12. What is Success? To have a “successful” project, we need to define what that means
- 13. Setting expectations When you say “successful project”, what do you mean? ▪ On time ▪ Within budget ▪ The content you said you would deliver ▪ Accurate ▪ Reduces support costs ▪ Engages post-sales customers and increases return purchases ▪ Other
- 14. Setting expectations These can all be how you define success ▪ Or some of these ▪ Or none of these ▪ Or something else entirely
- 15. Your management has a definition At least for other projects in the company ▪ Use that definition ▪ Extend it to include what you mean, too ▪ It’s going to change over time ▪ It may change per deliverable ▪ (Hint: It involves customer experience post-sales)
- 16. After you define it, evangelize it How docs happens in a mystery for most organizations ▪ Now that you have a definition for success ▪ Evangelize that definition ▪ Not everyone will get on board ▪ But you can point to it ▪ “I understand you want X, but we have decidedY.”
- 17. Ways to evangelize People need to know what success looks like and how that happens ▪ Status reports ▪ Project reports ▪ Staff meetings ▪ Corporate newsletter ▪ Planning documents ▪ Chatting in the lunchroom ▪ Soliciting opinions from others ▪ Ignoring the ones you don’t like or are stupid
- 18. Planning is still planning You already know part of the way there
- 19. Create a quality metric Set up the basic characteristics for 3 to 5 quality levels for your publications projects ▪ For example: ▪ Level 1 (Minimal): No index, no examples, spell-checked only ▪ Level 2 (Good):Verified against the software, examples, indexed, spell-checked, copyedited ▪ Level 3 (Best): Optimized for readability, comprehensibility, and localization
- 20. Metrics Develop a standard work per “page” estimate for publications in your organization ▪ Include the time it takes to: ▪ Manage the project ▪ Research and interview ▪ Write/edit ▪ Illustrate ▪ Proofread ▪ Translate ▪ Prepare for publication/Publish to multiple targets ▪ Attend project meetings ▪ Attend review sessions
- 21. Example average hours per ? Information Type Hours per unit User guide 2 hours per page Training Guide 30 hrs per 1 training hours Content Sensitive help 2 hours per topic Content to multi-publish 2 hours per topic Clean up community generated content 1 hour per 500 words
- 22. Common estimating errors The first few projects are going to have estimating errors ▪ Guess factor - An optimistic time plus some added factor ▪ Devoutly desired results - A guess that makes everyone happy
- 23. Evaluating complexity It’s not just the product that’s complex ▪ Internal factors ▪ Technical experience ▪ Writing and document design experience ▪ Audience understanding ▪ Team experience ▪ External factors ▪ Product stability ▪ Information availability ▪ Prototype availability ▪ SME availability ▪ Effectiveness of reviews
- 24. Development environments Love the one you’re with ▪ Waterfall ▪ Agile ▪ Mix of both ▪ Pick the attributes you like best from each and go
- 25. Regardless of the environment Do some planning Seriously, any planning ▪ Agile can be tougher but manage content by sprint ▪ What are the customer stories? ▪ What content do the customers need in that story? ▪ Often in Agile ▪ Docs runs one agile release behind ▪ Many times, we deliver up to date content ▪ But we set the expectation…
- 26. Deliverables, they are a’changin’ It’s a whole new world
- 27. You want what? It’s a very exciting time! ▪ Hard copy ▪ PDF ▪ Online help ▪ Offline help ▪ eBooks ▪ Smart phones/ devices ▪ Tablets ▪ HTML 5 ▪ Multiple languages ▪ Device-sniffing content ▪ Write once, reuse many ▪ And so much more
- 28. The way we were Creating content in a book metaphor is getting more and more expensive ▪ Doesn’t work any more ▪ We don’t even call it “single- sourcing” anymore ▪ “Multi-channel publishing” ▪ Perhaps it’s time to consider new tools/ technology/ processes
- 29. Thank you for your time Thoughts? Questions? Sharon Burton 951-369-8590 Twitter: sharonburton Sharon@sharonburton.com www.sharonburton.com
Editor's Notes
- #5: DCL’s core service is data conversion from any format to any format Additional services also include eBook production Composition QA Content Reuse Analysis Project set-up/management Consulting Transcription Translation Services can be bundled or sold al a carte Highly proficient with very complex projects Solid reputation within all industries
- #7: Our client base spans the gamut… Publishing: Educational Reference eBook Legal Periodicals STM Institutions: Libraries Universities Hospitals Museums Industry: Automotive Aerospace Transportation Equipment Manufacturing Distribution Technology: Computing Utilities Semiconductors Telecommunications Financial Services: Banking Credit card services Government/Defense: Civilian agencies Government agencies Military Life Sciences SPL SRP Records Research
- #8: Any industry where documentation & content exists
- #16: Use that definition Extend it to include what you mean, too It’s going to change over time It may change per deliverable Social media content may have a different metric than internally created content English content may be different than localized content Marketing certainly has a different metric (Hint: It involves customer experience post-sales)
- #25: Waterfall Iterative, lots of planning Phases of projects Typically in government and hardware More stable but slower Agile Customer stories drive development Little planning – called sprints Typically in software Less stable and fast Mix of both Pick the attributes you like best from each and go