TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
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Pete wondered: <<My boss came into my office yesterday with the
following question: Do you have any hardware/software requests for
the coming year?>>
I suppose an overstuffed armchair and espresso machine would be out
of the question? <g>
<<I am one of two tech writers for a pretty large software company.
The only experience we both have in tech writing is with this
company. The only two software packages we use is Microsoft Office
and RoboHelp. If your boss came to you with that same question, what
would you say? What are the must-have software packages in a Tech
Writing department?>>
The correct answer to the question depends on what you need to
accomplish. If Office and Robo are meeting all your needs
efficiently, the politically astute answer is "our current tools are
adequate, Boss, so we don't feel any huge need to change, but we'd
like to budget for new computers and upgrades to all our software in
2 years, once the bugs have been shaken out of the new releases of
both programs". This sends the message that you're not looking for
handouts, but rather paying careful attention to your real needs and
the always inadequate budget.
If you see opportunities to expand your role in the company, and have
time to do so, consider asking for tools such as Dreamweaver or
whatever your company uses to develop its Web site. Sometimes you can
get an interesting chance to diversify your job by stretching into
other areas of the company's operations. I made this an ongoing part
of my workplace strategy, and ended up getting to know everyone in
the company and wearing so many hats I needed a separate office just
for my hat rack. <g>
If you're encountering specific problems, such as an inability to
effectively capture and edit graphics, you may want to invest in
tools such as SnagIt and Photoshop; if Word is running out of
horsepower and you want to do serious single-sourcing, look into
Frame or supplement Word with WebWorks for Word. In short, purchase
new tools to solve a problem, not just to pad the bottom line of
Adobe and Dell and help your manager spend all their budget. <g>
If you do consider new software or hardware, make sure to add a line
item in the budget for training, and make sure to budget a few months
for mastering the new tools.
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