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Subject:RE: Boeing Tech Pubs going offshore? From:Rose -dot- Wilcox -at- pinnaclewest -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 13 Jun 2003 12:22:52 -0700
Here's the interesting meat of the article for me:
"Chile, which ranked 26th, came out as the best outsourcing prospect in a scoring of various factors. Though it scored low in English fluency, it made up for it in other areas, including low investment requirements and low cost.
Boeing insists the quality of technical-service publications that it provides will be maintained. "Boeing stands behind that 100 percent," Langer said."
My question for the Boeing execs is how can standards be maintained for manuals written in English when the outsourcing is being done in a place that "scored low for English fluency." I mean, what is the plan here?
The article also sez:
"The plan for the technical-publications unit is to transfer much of the work initially to Continental DataGraphics, a Boeing subsidiary acquired in 2000 with units in England and in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The subsidiary will help to spin off the work to one or more overseas suppliers."
With Chile being one of the overseas suppliers being considered. I am not sure what the "spin off" would entail as far as tasks?
"The new business model Boeing has in mind is one in which all airlines would agree to use standard technical manuals rather than customize them themselves for their own mechanics. Boeing is seeking to bring in industry partners to help create standards for the manuals. Boeing would oversee the work, but the partners would do much of the production."
Again the article isn't answering the main question it brings to my mind and this paragraph brings me to more questions.
What if the airlines don't agree to use the standard technical manuals?
What are the downsides of the standardization? What solutions are there to potential problems?
What do you mean by standards? Standard format, content, language usage? How would the overseeing be done?
Has anyone done any time estimates for how long re-doing the language usage might cost if outsourced to someone who isn't fluent? Is it really cheaper?
I see two potential problems:
- This may hurt the quality of the manuals.
- This may actually not save any money.
On the other hand, maybe both of those potential problems have solutions, but those solutions are not appearing in the article.
Rose A. Wilcox
CHQ, 17th Floor
Tranz1 QA/Documentation
602-250-2435
Rose -dot- Wilcox -at- PinnacleWest -dot- com
"Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not
been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open."
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