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- 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS Articles for Society for Technical Communication (STC) Telecommuting Column.......................3 ✦From the Boardroom to the Bedroom: The Pros and Cons of Telecommuting ✦Telecommuting: A Viable Workforce Alternative for You and Your Company ✦How to Find Legitimate Telecommuting Opportunities ✦How to Handle the Psychological and Emotional Stress of Telecommuting ✦Tech Support for the Professional Home Office Fact Sheet....................................................................................................................................................4 ✦Lithium: A Safe Alternative for Manic Depression User Manual and Quick Guide.................................................................................................................5 ✦Requirements Processes and Procedures for Company X ✦Systems Management Server: Remote Control Training Materials......................................................................................................................................6 ✦Introduction to Requirements for Project Controllers ✦Electronic Health Record Case Study Strategic Business Analysis......................................................................................................................7 ✦Strategic Business Review Website Development Project................................................................................................................8 ✦Research Portal Project: Development of Company Y’s Website
- 3. ARTICLES FOR STC TELECOMMUTING COLUMN The articles listed below examine the challenges and rewards of working from home and the ways in which telecommuting changes the way we work, play, and do business. From the Boardroom to the Bedroom: The Pros and Cons of Telecommuting This article is the first in a series of articles for a column dedicated to telecommuting. It introduces the audience to the concept of telecommuting along with its advantages and disadvantages and welcomes questions and topics from the column’s readers for future articles. How to Handle the Psychological and Emotional Stress of Telecommuting “Telecommuting is the wave of the future. Many companies have already implemented telecommuting programs because these programs have been shown Telecommuting is not nirvana and this article clearly illustrates why it’s important to increase productivity, improve employee retention rates, and decrease real estate to find ways to cope with the challenges and pitfalls of working from home. Eight costs, not to mention the environmental benefits.” Click here to read full coping strategies are described from making it a point to communicate with your colleagues to taking a break. article. “Although there are several advantages to telecommuting, working from home can Telecommuting: A Viable Workforce Alternative for You and Your be psychologically stressful for several reasons. First of all, the absence of regular Company social interaction with friends and colleagues can be detrimental to our sense of well-being. Human beings, by nature, are social creatures. Taking away regular social This article provides some suggestions on how to convince employers to embrace interaction translates into feelings of loneliness and isolation. At the same time, the a telecommuting program by building a strong business case, addressing all of the social interactions with the exterminator, nosy neighbor, telemarketer, and even our appropriate questions, and recommending a trial period. loved ones are unwelcome interruptions that distract us and decrease our productivity.” “What can you do is build a strong business case for telecommuting by developing Click here to read full article. and presenting a telecommuting proposal to your boss or your employer’s decision-makers. Developing a proposal not only shows that you have thoroughly researched the idea, it reinforces your commitment to making telecommuting work Tech Support for the Professional Home Office and increase your chance for success.” Click here to read full article. Dedicated to the home office professional who may not have the expertise or time How to Find Legitimate Telecommuting Opportunities to deal with computer or network issues, this article provides readers with three local tech support companies. It emphasizes why hiring an expert may be in their The focus of this article is on helping the readers be creative in identifying best interest given the wide array of potential challenges. legitimate telecommuting opportunities. It provides some online resources to help the readers start their search. “Advances in technology make our lives easier; however, they bring with them a host of new problems and challenges. The Internet, which has revolutionized the “If you are committed to a telecommuting work arrangement not supported by way we communicate and do business, is the same Internet that enables hackers to your employer, then you are faced with the decision to seriously pursue attack our computers with viruses, worms, and other malicious programs.” opportunities outside of your company. Where are these opportunities? That Click here to read full article. depends on your approach. There are three different approaches you can follow to pursue telecommuting jobs: (1) search for employers that support telecommuting. (2) become an independent contractor, or (3) start your own business.” Click here to read full article.
- 4. FACT SHEET Lithium: A Safe Alternative for Manic Depression The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide consumers (e.g., patients and their families) a high-level overview of lithium. Specifically, it explains what it is, what it is used for, how it works, the DOs and DON’Ts when taking the medication, and its benefits and side-effects. The target audience includes people who do not have medical knowledge or a healthcare background. How long should I stay on lithium? The period of time you remain on lithium depends on how many mood swings you have, how often you have them, how severe they are, and how long they last. If you have experienced two or more episodes in a five-year period and/or have experienced one episode in which you were a danger to yourself or others, then you probably will have to remain on lithium for an extended period of time. Consult with your physician. Click here to read full fact sheet.
- 5. USER MANUAL AND QUICK GUIDE Requirements Process and Procedures for Company X This process and procedures manual was created to inform stakeholders and guide the requirements staff in the requirements development and management processes and their associated procedures. The blueprint for all requirements-related projects, this manual provides a high-level perspective on roles and responsibilities, and requirement engineering activities as well as detailed step-by-step instructions on how to complete all required tasks. Note: To protect the privacy of the client, the document was sanitized by removing all identifying information. “Company X’s Requirements Management Team has established processes and procedures to define how Company X develops and manages requirements to build, deploy, and sustain Information Technology (IT) solutions. These processes and procedures adhere to requirements engineering “best practices” and accomplish the following: • Help decision-makers determine resource allocation, capacity planning, prioritization, and timelines • Mitigate the risk of change to Company X’s computing environment • Ensure that all new system development projects originate with requirements and adhere to a formal requirements development process • Make sure that changes to requirements follow a formal requirements management process • Verify that all requirements are documented, approved, traced, and tracked • Involve all relevant stakeholders in the requirements development and management processes.” Click here to read full document. Systems Management Server: Remote Control This quick guide provides users with instructions on how to request access, install, and use the remote control feature of Services Management System (SMS). Note: To protect the privacy of the client, the document was sanitized by removing all identifying information. “Services Management System (SMS) is used to manage computer resources. One important feature of SMS is SMS Remote Tools, a suite of tools that gives you the ability to troubleshoot problems on clients’ computers remotely.” Click here to read full document.
- 6. TRAINING MATERIALS Introduction to Requirements for Project Controllers This training presentation was made for a workshop for project controllers to help them understand, at a high level, what requirements management is, why it is important, and best practices that should be used when implementing a formal requirements management program. “What is a requirement? A requirement is a condition or capability needed by a stakeholder to solve a problem or achieve an objective. It describes what is needed; not how to do it.” Click here to reach full presentation. Electronic Health Record Case Study This case study was created to provide hypothetical scenarios which were used by the class to help them complete an exercise in completing a business case. “Scenario:Your loved one has a severe drug allergy and is rushed to the hospital unconscious. The hospital pulls up his/her EHR which clearly documents the medication allergy. Without this information, the wrong medication could have been administered with serious consequences.” Click here to reach full case study.
- 7. STRATEGIC BUSINESS ANALYSIS Strategic Business Review of Company X The purpose of this Strategic Business Analysis is to analyze the marketing/communications strategy of a healthcare provider. The goal of this project was to determine how well Company X was strategically positioned in the marketplace by thoroughly reviewing Company X's written marketing and communications plan, interviewing key stakeholders and decision makers, and conducting research based on generally accepted marketing principles and guidelines. Note: To protect the privacy of the client, the document was sanitized by removing all identifying information. “The ever-changing, dynamic nature of the healthcare industry has forced physicians, hospitals, and health insurance companies to change the way they do business. Because competition is fiercer than ever, marketing has become an essential way to ensure the survival of healthcare organizations. The purpose of this SBR (Strategic Business Review) is to analyze the marketing/communications strategy of Company X, Inc.” Click here to reach full document.
- 8. WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT Research Portal Project: Development of Company Y’s Website This website development project was completed for a drug company to help its pharmacists and researchers find a more cost-effective and efficient way to conduct their research. By creating a one-stop information portal that could be accessed via the Internet, the pharmacists and researchers would no longer have to drive to the local library to access the journals, database, and websites that they needed to do their jobs. This document describes the step-by-step process used to develop the website from conducting end-user interviews to prototype development to user testing. Note: To protect the privacy of the client, the document was sanitized by removing all identifying information. “If Company Y intends to remain competitive in the marketplace, it must adapt to the technological changes that have transformed the way companies do business. One solution to Company Y’s information problem is to develop an internal web site. This web site would serve as both a gateway to research information (medical databases, journals, and other web sites) and an information exchange center where pharmacists could share and transfer information. Not only would a web site eliminate the inconvenience and costs associated with trips to the local university, it would expedite the research process by: •Providing pharmacists with access to information 24 hours a day •Increasing productivity •Preventing duplication of information •Reducing unnecessary steps in information exchange and transfer.” Click here to reach full document.