RE: Issues with distribution of technical documents

[edunn -at- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com]

I think a few people seem to be disconnected from economic reality.
Unfortunately most of today's consumers are. Whether it's documentation or
regular service, everyone wants it but nobody wants to pay for it. We complain
about lack of service but will happily march from the small store with great
service but higher prices to the big-box store across the street with no service
but cut rate prices. The lesson here is that you get what you pay for or even
perhaps just simply caveat emptor.
   How can some figure documentation "should be figured into the cost, however
   your com-pany prices its products"? If you are competing in a marketplace
   that goes for lowest price, then you do not include documentation (and the
   associated costs) unless you have to. If you can price your product lower
   than the competition by not providing docs even if your competition does, the
   only calculation left is whether you will gain more bargain hunters than
   you'll lose in dissatisfied customers that demand documentation.
   In the case of custom developed products the cost of documentation should
   never be included unless specified in the contract or you are sure you can
   undercut your competitor and use the documentation extra as a closing point.
   In one post: "The clients paid big bucks for developers by the hour, but when
   it came to selling documentation to them, they were aghast. Why should they
   have to pay for instructions to use the product they were paying hundreds of
   thousands to have developed? And they had a point." These clients don't have
   a point at all. They got exactly what they asked for and what they paid for.
   They have to learn how to write a specification correctly to get what they
   expect. Documentation and training on a custom job can range from nothing to
   a small pamphlet all the way up to a three week training junket to Hawaii for
   the entire staff. Just how is a bidder supposed to price their submission if
   they are supposed to guess at the requirements? Therefor, no requirements
   equals nothing offered.
   If you buy software, TVs, VCRs, or any product with the expectation that it
   comes with documentation, then open the box and make sure it's there. If it
   isn't then you can be judgmental about whether the price differences between
   competing products justifies the lack (or indeed quality) of documentation or
   not. The only case where anyone is entitled to documentation is when consumer
   protection laws and liability are involved.
   If buying something in volume, you have to judge if the volume discount is
   worth not getting documentation or not. You have to analyze the package just
   as companies have to analyze the market place to determine what package is
   required to be able to compete.
   As far as documentation as a "profit center", why not? While difficult to
   quantify the profit of docs "in the box" they do add to the overall sales and
   profitability of the package. As one poster pointed out, some customers would
   refuse to buy the product without printed documents. Beyond the "in the box"
   solution, there is the possibility of producing all those "add-on" documents,
   training guides and programs, interactive training, and other products a
   documentation department could sell separately (like Adobe does with
   Classroom in a Book).

   Eric L. Dunn



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