Development Procedures - where do you come in?

["Pegasus Writer" <pegasuswriter -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

Good afternoon:

I hope this topic is not too much of a re-hash. I know there have been 
similar threads of discussion in the past, but my search on Techwhirl 
archives didn't produce exactly what I'm looking for and perhaps this will 
be of interest to others as well.

Here's the situation...The company I work for has been in business since the 
80s and has never had a formal engineering development procedure (probably 
not particularly unique).  Product development has been very informal and 
while this company has been very successful, many here believe that formal 
development procedures could help eliminate many of the headaches of the 
past.  So, we are in the process of developing a company engineering 
development procedure manual and I've been asked to provide them with my 
recommendations for when to bring the Tech Writer into the process, hence 
this email.

Before completing my response to our V.P., I'd be interested in hearing from 
as many of you as care to respond.

1.)  I'd like to know if you are involved in the early stages of product 
development.  If so, how early -- like preliminary design meetings?
2.)  How useful is it to you to be involved in these early meetings?
3.)  Do you provide a preliminary design of online help and manuals?
4.)  Do you participate in peer reviews?
5.)  Other opinions,issues, advice or ideas along these lines?


Thanks,
Peggy Lee
Lone Technical Writer




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