Style guides - doc standards vs processes (WAS: bad leadership an d tech writing)

["Metzger, Lucinda" <cmetzger -at- dukane -dot- com>]

Johanne Cadorette said, 

"I'd like to emphasize the importance of documenting your own
documentation process. If you don't already have one, producing a style
guide is imperative. The style guide will ensure that the documentation
has the same look and feel across the board, and that all the
information is presented in a consistant manner. A documentation roadmap
would also be useful. Map out the documentation process from a-z,
matching each step in the development process to one in the
documentation process."

I'm curious -- how many of you include a "documentation roadmap" as part of
your style guides? How many of you have written up any type of roadmap at
all? In my department, we created two guides.

The style manual covers things like:
-Document layout
-Agreed-upon terminology
-Capitalization standards
-Product acronyms
-Trademark information

The procedures manual covers the actual processes, like:
-How doc projects are initiated
-How to pull a product sample from stock
-How to peer edit another writer's doc
-What form to use when sending a doc to review
-How to submit a drawing change to our drafting group
-How to post a doc to our website
-How to archive the files at the end of the project

Between the two guides, someone could resurrect the tech writing department
if (God forbid) we all get struck by trucks on the way to work.

On that cheerful thought, I'm getting back to work....
Cindy
cmetzger -at- dukane -dot- com

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