Structure your way to revenue growth
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The document emphasizes the importance of focusing on revenue generation rather than merely cutting costs in the documentation process, suggesting strategies for creating effective support documents. It highlights the need to improve content usability across multiple platforms, target diverse audiences, and leverage reusable content to enhance customer outreach. The discussion also underscores the potential for increased profits and return on investment through better documentation practices.
Structure your way to revenue growth
- 1. Suggestions to help doc teams stop cutting budgets and start generating profits Bernard Aschwanden www.publishingsmarter.com for a print version, please email bernard@publishingsmarter.com Structure Your Way to Revenue Growth 02:37 1 @publishsmarter
- 2. About this session 02:37@publishsmarter 2 Don’t overly focus on cutting costs; increase revenue Improve support docs and target your reader Deliver it to multiple audiences Ensure content is viewable on multiple devices This can be done without significant increases in spending Instead of cuts, let’s talk about Business growth Increased profits Great ROI A mix of 'how to' and 'here is what others have done' Explore ways to create documentation, put products and services on the map and front-of-mind for customers
- 3. Thanks to Adobe 02:37@publishsmarter 3 Delivered as part of Adobe Day at STC Summit 2014 Adobe is a long-term sponsor of STC Has helped to shape the industry Tools like Technical Communications Suite, including: FrameMaker RoboHelp Captivate Acrobat And more...
- 4. Housekeeping and note taking 02:37@publishsmarter 4 Not all slides or topics are equally weighted Use some, discard others Slides speed varies (reference) Questions? Ask along the way! I’d love to claim errors/typos is on purpose… they isn’t, ain’t, and weren’t never; however, I’ll fix ‘em as I can…
- 5. About your speaker 02:37@publishsmarter 5 Publishing Smarter: President Content strategist, publishing technologies expert, author, and geek- enough Certified Technical Trainer DITA Content management Topic-based writing Society for Technical Communications Vice President STC Associate Fellow
- 6. Solving business problems through communication 02:37@publishsmarter 6 We help clients: Create great content Manage content as an asset Deliver content the right way Socialize the message Listen to the consumer Improve experiences by helping Create great content Manage content as an asset Deliver content the right way … By helping clients:
- 7. Standard disclaimer 02:37@publishsmarter 7 In the interest of brevity I will make some blanket statements to keep it simple It’s not all 100% “the truth”, but I’ll stay close Purists may complain And they are wrong! (except when they are right)
- 8. Why cutting is the wrong way to make docs look good on the bottom line @publishsmarter 02:37 8 Cutting vs Revenue Growth
- 9. Two ways to put money in the bank 02:37@publishsmarter 9 Cutting expenses (okay, but weak to repeat) Like cutting your personal spending At some point, you don’t have anything left to cut Instead of Starbucks, it’s instant No longer a week in Europe, now a long weekend “stay-cation” Forget going to movies, it’s the local library puppet show Growing revenue (great approach, can be repeated) More like investing for the long term 401K, mutual funds, stocks and bonds, treasury bills Interest is compounded, you get paid again and again
- 10. Exploring a 10% cut 02:37 To have a starting point, assume that there is a percent cost of sales that relates to docs (I’ll pick 10%) Then assume a 10% cut is requested, and delivered Revenue Docs Cut Y1 Cut Y2 Cut Y3 Cut Y5 Cut Y10 10M 1M 900K 810K 729K 590K 350K 25M 2.5M 2.25M 2.03M 1.82M 1.48K 872K 100M 10M 9M 8.1M 7.3M 5.9M 3.5M 500M 50M 45M 40.5M 36.5M 29.5 17.4M 1B 100M 90M 81M 73M 59M 35M
- 11. Exploring a 2% revenue growth 02:37@publishsmarter 11 To have a starting point, assume that there is a percent cost of sales that relates to docs (I’ll pick 2%) Assume a 2% boost is delivered via docs (more later) Revenue Docs Boost Y1 Boost Y2 Boost Y3 Boost Y5 Y10 10M 1M 10.2M 10.4M 10.61M 11.04M 12.19M 25M 2.5M 25.5M 26M 26.5M 27.6M 30.47M 100M 10M 102M 104M 106.1M 110.4M 121.9M 500M 50M 510M 520.2M 530.6M 552M 609.5M 1B 100M 1.02B 1.04B 1.06B 110B 122B
- 12. Cutting at 10% vs growing at 2% 02:37@publishsmarter 12 You can cut the costs of a department, but over time there isn’t much left, OR you can grow revenue Let’s compare the compounded cut/growth Rev Docs - / + in Y1 Y2 Y3 Y5 Y10 10M 1M 100K / 200 190K / 400 271K / 610 410K/ 1.04M 650K / 2.19M 25M 2.5M 250K / 500 470K / 1M 780K/ 1.5M 1M / 2.6M 1.63M / 5.5M 100M 10M 1M/ 2M 1.9M / 4M 2.7M/ 6.1 4.1M / 10.4 6.5M / 22M 500M 50M 5M / 10M 9.5M / 20.2 13.5M/30. 6 20.5 / 52M 32.6 / 110M 1B 100M 10M / 20 19M / 40 27M / 61 41M / 104 65M / 219M
- 13. As you improve your documentation processes you can reach out to more potential customers @publishsmarter 02:37 13 Better docs: Broader audience
- 14. Benefits of better docs 02:37@publishsmarter 14 Easier to use in the sales cycle Quicker to get to market Fewer hours on review Translation is consistent Deliver on multiple platforms Writers are less stressed, more productive
- 15. Larger audience via custom content 02:37@publishsmarter 15 Reuse of content means you can reach a larger group The same base content with new product info Instead of “Saving Word files” and “Saving Excel files” Create “Saving <productname> files” Plan, write, review, edit, approve, publish, translate once Reuse for multiple products Same idea for multiple platforms Replace “Windows Shortcuts” and “Macintosh Shortcuts” Use “<platform> Shortcuts” And even for audience specific, job function, and more
- 16. Let people consume content as they wish, rather than as you demand @publishsmarter 02:37 16 Publish to multiple devices
- 18. HTML 5 (default, on tablet) 02:37@publishsmarter 18
- 19. HTML 5 (default, on phone) 02:37@publishsmarter 19
- 20. Let’s explore how companies actually use documentation to generate revenue @publishsmarter 02:37 20 Deliver docs in new ways
- 21. Let’s look at a sample from Lowes 02:37@publishsmarter 21 QR code to www.snipp.us/jh/home.aspx
- 22. Use documentation to build revenue 02:37@publishsmarter 22 If you ever have had to work with tiles, glue, and grout
- 23. Compare what you need to do 02:37@publishsmarter 23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-i0S_6oVSE https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=151613841 697764&set=vb.128898747292260&type=2&theater BTW: Special > Generate QR Code
- 24. Stop creating PDF or Help or Web materials and use structure to deliver better documentation @publishsmarter 02:37 24 Let’s explore structure
- 25. Take advantage of structure 02:37@publishsmarter 25 Using an XML standard (like DITA) means several things Others have done the heavy lifting Thanks IBM/OASIS for creating (and maintaining) a standard Thanks Adobe and other vendors for coming up with ways to make it work with your authoring tool, your publishing tool, your CCMS, your translation tool, and much, much more The standard already supports reuse of content Easy to create for specific audience, platform, product, or even version, release, and modification (or others) It is (generally) easy to get started, far easier then even as little as 5 years ago
- 26. Structure requirements 02:37@publishsmarter 26 Has to follow a strategic plan and be well implemented Content needs to be analysed The RIGHT content needs to be converted Need to use the right tools, and use them correctly
- 27. Identify the true costs 02:37@publishsmarter 27 Costs vary and depend on many factors How good is the source content (well tagged?) How organized is the source content (well written?) How open are executives, managers, writers, co-workers? We have done this for clients for under USD$10,000 and for close to USD$1,000,000 It’s broad ranging Page count between 500 pages for a team of 2 or 3 writers, including templates, training, and a CCMS Page count of about 200,000 for a core team of 75
- 28. Calculating the ROI 02:37@publishsmarter 28 Many ways to do it In some cases as little as 9 to 10 MONTHS In some cases as long as 4 to 7 years Depends on many factors Reuse (in some cases up to 90%, average about 70%) Translation (about 4 or 5 languages, and ROI is FAST) Regulatory (in cases like ATA, pharma, and others, it reduces ground time, speeds up approval, etc)
- 29. Summing up the discussion, and options to continue it @publishsmarter 02:37 29 Conclusion and contact
- 30. About this session 02:37@publishsmarter 30 Don’t overly focus on cutting costs; increase revenue Improve support docs and target your reader Deliver it to multiple audiences Ensure content is viewable on multiple devices This can be done without significant increases in spending Instead of cuts, let’s talk about Business growth Increased profits Great ROI A mix of 'how to' and 'here is what others have done' Explore ways to create documentation, put products and services on the map and front-of-mind for customers
- 31. Final request 02:37@publishsmarter 31 Please suggest these slides to others If there are any problems with them, please let me know Remember my disclaimer at the beginning Not all slides are equal: Use some, discard others In the interest of brevity I make some blanket statements It’s not all 100% “the truth”, but I’ll stay close Purists may complain And they are wrong! (except when they are right)
- 32. Follow up contact information 02:37@publishsmarter 32 905 833 8448 (Eastern Time) bernard@publishingsmarter.com www.linkedin.com/in/bernardaschwanden @publishsmarter www.publishingsmarter.com