Re: text production process
"Processes convert inputs into outputs." But our inputs enter the process ad hoc -- at any point, at any time. The output isn't quality controlled.
You don't have a process then. And, despite "process" being used as a buzzword, it is a very useful tool when you have to create complex documentation (or create documentation in a complex environment).
Some things to consider:
- Make sure the process is acceptable to all significant participants. And that includes, in your case, the other departments, especially those that provide input.
- Make sure that everybody understands and accepts where and how they need to modify the way they work. (And, yes, if you do not have a process now, it is very likely that they will need to do so.)
- Make sure that the process is flexible enough to accommodate real-world deviations. In other words, anything that could reasonably happen should be able to be fitted into the process.
- Make sure that the process is rigorous enough that you have a decent chance of catching problems while they are still manageable. I.e., do not make the process so flexible that just about any kind of behavior could still be interpreted as being within the guidelines of the process.
- Be sure to point out when there is a significant deviation from the process and spell out the consequences. (E.g., "The software has been completely redesigned one week before release, despite assurances that it was feature-complete. This means that we will be able to either deliver the documentation in the promised quality three weeks late or on time but with a great likelihood of factual errors and omissions.") The point is not to assign blame but to give the customer (in this case the other department) a choice of consequences. Having an agreed process means in this case that you can defend yourself against being blamed for something that isn't you fault.
Regards
Jan Henning
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Jan Henning
ROSEMANN & LAURIDSEN GMBH
Am Schlossberg 14, D-82547 Eurasburg, Germany
Phone: +49 700 0200 0700, Fax: +49 8179 9307-12
E-Mail: henning -at- r-l -dot- de, Web: www.r-l.de
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Re: text production process: From: John Garside
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