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Document Management Services
Managing documentation requires good Technical Communications, supported by expertise in other information specialties: records management, training, research. The resume of Scribble & Count's Document Manager has that breadth. S&C can:- create a documentation effort (policies/procedures, staffing, styles/templates, etc.) from scratch;
- revise, expand, integrate, or streamline current efforts;
- manage an existing Documentation Department on a short- or long-term basis.
| Note: | Sanders brings in more than 30 years experience in virtually every aspect of information services. If it turns out (and our scoping session will reveal it) that you require less expertise than we normally provide, our contacts within metro Denver and along the Colorado Front Range can provide you with free referrals. |
Creation of Documentation Processes
Good documentation is important, even vital, for several reasons:- Acceptable documentation is required for startup funding.
- Studies have linked product sales to effective documentation.
- Documentation produces one of the first corporate impressions.
- Certifications (such as ISO 9000) require specific documentation.
Policies & Procedures. These include document process flow, determining media mix, backup and retention schedules, inventory, etc.
Budgeting. S&C can quantify all aspects of the documentation effort for inclusion into the budget process.
Styles, Templates, & Boilerplate. Often companies are satisfied with most aspects of their documentation effort, but would like the standardization and efficiencies that styles and templates provide. Single sourcing and print-to-online conversion demand consistent adherence to styles. Therefore, Scribble & Count is offering this service as a stand-alone, separate from the rest of the process.
Staffing (both internal and outsourced). Good decisions concerning what should (and shouldn't) be done in-house are vital for meeting quality, cost, and deadline goals. Costs can be further reduced without sacrificing quality by knowing what skill levels are (and aren't) required; it is absolutely amazing how often wasted talent is hired (and paid for!), or vital skills go unfilled. S&C can analyze your documentation needs, what you have onsite, and where your gaps are. Position descriptions are included, as is initial screening of applicants, if desired.
Future Growth. Immediate concerns can normally be satisfied while accommodating foreseeable changes. For example:
- Documentation that is print-only today can be styled for easy conversion to an online component next year.
- Process flow can be altered to include a technical review that permits document reuse at a later date.
- Libraries of boilerplate (company descriptions for press releases, marketing, and Website; reusable glossaries and bibliographies, etc.) can be created for both today's and tomorrow's needs.
Revision / Integration of Document Processes
This is a focused application of the creation process described above. Here an assessment (either as the initial step or a stand-alone service) is vital; it determines what has been done (and needn't be reinvented), as well as what needs to be done, by whom, and on what schedule. For example:- Is documentation being produced in separate departments (or by separate outsourced contractors) which can be produced more efficiently in a single effort? [Consolidation would probably also improve the consistency, and therefore increase both the usability and reusability, of the documents.]
- Is document conversion being attempted or planned? [If so, are the templates compatible? Is the writing for one of the mediums overshadowing the other use?]
- Do position descriptions reflect the skill sets current operations require, or are they written to support previous operations? [Evaluate software and procedures from the same perspective.]
Management
Documentation department management can be a follow-on to the creation or revision processes described above, or it can begin here. Management can also be interim (with S&C providing as much support as is desired in personnel selection and training), or it can be ongoing and open-ended.In any case, S&C's long-term involvement is one of oversight, rather than daily hands-on contact. Bill Sanders will be on site on a regular, but not a continual, basis and will be on call. Most administrative responsibilities can be performed off-site.
Assessments
Any of the services described above should include an assessment. It is extremely important, but normally quite brief:- We look at your goals (or help you develop explicit ones).
- Are they realistic? (Are they achievable, given your time, budget, and other constraints?)
- We determine what documentation capacity you have and what you want (types, reproduction quality, release schedule, retention requirements, etc.).
- Do you have the personnel, software, and other equipment for the operations you need?
- We help you decide whether to keep each aspect in-house, or outsource.
- We assist you in creating an attainment schedule.
- Unless we are one of the applicants, we can help you select contractors for the implementation phase. (If we're one of the applicants, you'll be on your own here. Sorry.)
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Rev. 11-Nov-01
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