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Here, too. I'm constantly being scolded for "missing" a change in specs
of software. I am a department of one. Until recently, I shared an
office with the quality control person who, in normal conversation,
often mentioned such upgrades, but even that was as close to any formal
communication as I've ever had the luxury of coming.
"Scarily familiar" is an accurate description.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+mschmidt=weathercentral -dot- tv -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+mschmidt=weathercentral -dot- tv -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
On Behalf Of David Farbey
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2006 8:24 AM
To: Sarah Bouchier; techwr-l discussion list
Subject: Re: Gnaargh! Or, I Am Not Psychic
Hi Sarah,
It's scarily familiar.
I know this is going to sound flippant, but the easiest thing to do in
the sort of "organisation-without-a-process" you describe is to have
your desk moved so you sit right in the middle of where the programmers
sit. Then you make friends with them all (this is an important step and
may involve food). Then you get to hear what they are doing. Still no
process, but better information exchange.
CMMI, anyone?
David Farbey
Sarah Bouchier wrote:
> This will, I suspect, be a familiar rant to most of you.
>
> I've just discovered that, shortly after both I and the client went
> through and checked my company's user manual and online help against
the
> product, the development team made some major changes to the UI
without
> telling the doc team.
>
> Normally I'd have picked this up through the paranoiac (though
> justified, I feel!) checking I do anytime I have a few minutes spare,
> but what with it being the last few days before the release deadline I
> was working ten hour lunchless days as it was, and I +really+ didn't
> have the spare time to go through the entire product to see if
anything
> had changed.
>
> Unfortunately, there's scarcely a process here, never mind one that
> includes the technical authors. The closest thing is the bug tracking
> system, but apparently most of those changes didn't go through it (and
> even if they had, I've yet to train the developers to assign bugs to
> documentation after fixing).
>
> What is the best process you've ever worked with (or dreamed of) that
> enables technical authors to find out about changes/new projects etc
> before the very last minute is past?
>
> The prize for the best answer is me doing my damnedest to implement it
> here :)
>
> S.
>
>
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