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RE: Fostering Process-Change (Mercifully rescued from; Documentation Correctness was Re: How many levels ofindentsandheadsare reasonable?)
Subject:RE: Fostering Process-Change (Mercifully rescued from; Documentation Correctness was Re: How many levels ofindentsandheadsare reasonable?) From:"Paul Hanson" <phanson -at- Quintrex -dot- com> To:<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:49:28 -0500
Yes.
When I started at job #1, on 2/10/95, my mentor had a stack of
programming changes to go through to update the user manual. It was
several inches deep. The status quo was that doc was a release behind
the software, meaning version 5 changes were included in the doc that
was released with Version 6.
I remember being in some discussions/meetings and, after those took
place, management decided that prior to QA accepting any programming
change, it needed to be signed off by a member of the doc department.
There was a routing sheet that had an area for us to sign off. If a
change was brought to QA, and one of us <there were three of us in the
dept> had not signed off, QA sent the programmer to us. There were
occasional "quick, read this b/c QA won't accept it until you sign off
and the client needs this yesterday" situations but, eventually,
programmers got the hang of it and would bring their project to us.
There were certain types of changes that were internal and did not
require any doc. There were also client-specific changes that we did not
document - we only maintained doc for the 'base system' and any
client-specific changes were the responsibility of the client/services
team.
I left that job on 2/10/98 and what they have done since is anyone's
guess. I can say that the doc matched the system for the releases I was
involved in during the time I was there after this process change was
implemented.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+phanson=quintrex -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+phanson=quintrex -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Butler, Darren J Ctr 584 CBSS/GBHAC
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 1:44 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: FW: Fostering Process-Change (Mercifully rescued
from;Documentation Correctness was Re: How many levels
ofindentsandheadsare reasonable?)
Gene Kim-Eng wrote: Usually, though, it is preceded by someone way up on
the food chain observing your effectiveness and either holding you up as
an example that the rest of the company is expected to follow or
formally designating you as a lead resource in some executive-driven
process improvement initiative. If you've ever gotten one of those
emails from your company's CEO that say "I know you will all provide....
with your full support in this effort," with its implied "or else"
message, that's the sort of thing that you'll need backing you up.
As cynical as that sounds, you're probably right.
I actually have the support of the bigger fish in this pond -- just not
in writing -- and if I had it I don't know if it would help or not.
I basically wanted to know if anyone in TW land has attempted to
initiate process-change from the "word monkey" seat and the extent of
their resulting injuries.
So far I've flown into only minor turbulence, but I'm just getting
started.
Blessings,
Darren
****************************************
Darren J. Butler
Sr. Technical Writer-Editor, Template Wrangler, Mil-Spec Pharisee
Integrated Data for Maintenance NG Corp
-----Original Message-----
From: Gene Kim-Eng [mailto:techwr -at- genek -dot- com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 2:19 PM
To: Butler, Darren J Ctr 584 CBSS/GBHAC; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Documentation Correctness was Re: How many levels
ofindentsandheads are reasonable?
Well, I suppose there's always the exit interview...
Actually, it is sometimes possible for Technical Publications to help
effect change in the development process. Usually, though, it is
preceded by someone way up on the food chain observing your
effectiveness and either holding you up as an example that the rest of
the company is expected to follow or formally designating you as a lead
resource in some executive-driven process improvement initiative. If
you've ever gotten one of those emails from your company's CEO that say
"I know you will all provide....
with your full support in this effort," with its implied "or else"
message, that's the sort of thing that you'll need backing you up.
Gene Kim-Eng
----- Original Message -----
From: "Butler, Darren J Ctr 584 CBSS/GBHAC"
Would it be fair to say that a company's TW department has some level of
responsibility in (at least attempting to) point out any short-comings
and errors of the developmental process? The TWs may be the only "canary
in the coal mine" to alert that things are going horrible wrong -- just
before we pass out.
I guess it all depends on whether or not the documentation is parallel
to product development or an after - (w-a-a--y after) - thought.
Have any of you successfully fostered process-change?
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Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
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