Re: Boeing Tech Pubs going offshore? (long)

[eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com]

>>Wow, I hope no one from Boeing is reading this thread. It's a knife-twister.

It was a little uncaring. Wasn't really meant to be, but it's a little difficult
to sugar coat such a nasty reality.

>>But Eric raises an interesting question. Must workers both (a) do their work
>>and (b) make a business case for their value? At most companies, higher-ups
>>look after cost/benefit analyses.

I think the problem was that the workers were perhaps doing more there their job
description and not making sure they are recognised for it.

In Richard's explanation of GE's case and writers catching
errors/inconsistencies in engineering provided procedures was it in the job
description that the techwriter was responsible for doing so?

Put yourself in management's shoes. The process says engineering gives
information to techwriters, techwriters produce documentation. All costs split
between engineering and techwriting. But, techwriting is costing an inordinately
large amount due to undocumented feedback loops and subprocesses that depend on
engineering. If management isn't aware of these undocumented processes they can
only assume that engineering is providing all required information accurately
and in a timely manner. So the only saving they can see is to replace the
techwriters with a cheaper equivalent.

The techwriting department needs to make sure the responsibilities of each are
clearly defined and that the costs are properly split. Don't take over
additional responsibilities unless the job description change is also
acknowledged. If such accounting were done, management could then see that there
are gains to be made expanding the control/influence techpubs or formalising the
engineering information flow and QA. The risk factors and costs of outsourcing
would also be evident.

While this maybe the realm and responsibility of management, each techwriter
plays a major role as well. While you may be doing your best to get
documentation out the door, it is your responsibility to ensure your manager is
aware of any and all time spent and delays caused due to the improper execution
of responsibilities by other departments and individuals. Otherwise you're the
slow wheel with the largest costs.

In the case of aviation, show one documented case of techpubs catching a safety
critical error and the reason that current processes wouldn't catch the error if
techpubs outsourced or that the writers weren't of the same experience then the
jobs may not have moved.

Eric L. Dunn



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