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RE: Compare and Contrast Doc Group Performance -- What's aWorld-Class Doc Group Look Like?
Subject:RE: Compare and Contrast Doc Group Performance -- What's aWorld-Class Doc Group Look Like? From:stevefjong -at- comcast -dot- net To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:29:51 +0000
You can judge a work group by the quality of its output or by the effectiveness of its function. These are related but separate metrics.
For example, you can examine the information products produced by a documentation group. The products can be fit for use, even award-winning in design and execution; or they can be sloppy, inaccurate, even outdated. Customers and users tend to judge in this way, and not care about the work group's efficiency.
Also, you can examine the documentation group itself. The group can be efficient, productive, even profitable (well, in our dreams); or it can be slow, trouble-plagued, even overstaffed. Upper management tends to judge in this way, and not care (as much) about the work group's output.
Now, the excellent product tends to be created by an excellent work group, but not necessarily; it could be that the award-winning document was the result of a frantic last-minute effort by a team of contractors called in to save the project.
It's also true that out of the chaos of a badly functioning group a gem of an information product happened to be turned out; but good luck expecting that work to be replicated.
I wrote a series of columns for the Quality SIG newsletter on product and process quality. You might want to check them out.
-- Steve
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