Focus Forward - Thinking Beyond the Deliverable

An e-newsletter published by Tim Rosa Associates, LLC

January 2006 Vol. 3, No. 1

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A Change of Focus

Many of you have been reading Focus Forward since we launched it in February, 2004. I am very grateful for your support and feedback on each issue. Readers have described past newsletters with terms such as “information packed,” while one reader suggested that our series on white papers read like “mini tutorials.”

The dawn of a new year provides time for reflection. Starting with this issue of Focus Forward, the newsletter will change its focus from providing information about various writing strategies to offering analysis, advice and recommendations you can use in your businesses. My observations—based on my 20+ years of experience—will include suggestions about how to spend your limited time, resources and budget more effectively while getting the most “bang for the buck” in our ever-competitive global marketplace. As always, if you have a comment on an article or want to submit an idea for an upcoming issue, please send me your feedback.

Thinking Beyond the Deliverable

The VP of Engineering from a leading technology firm called the other day and asked: “We have developed a new release of our software and will need to update the manual to reflect changes since the last version. How much will it cost to update and how long will it take?”

While this may seem like a simple inquiry, what he presented to us is far more complex and raises certain other questions:

Who are the intended users of the manual? Do they use it?
Are the topics in the manual based on tasks users perform on the job with your software?
What feedback (positive or negative) have you received on the current manual from your customers and Help Desk?
Have you considered other forms of user assistance based on this feedback, such as online help, training videos, or self-paced tutorials?
How do you currently distribute the manual (embedded in the product, online, print, etc.)? What are the costs for production and/or distribution?
What kind of budget has been approved for documentation associated with this new release?
When do you need to complete the project?

Too many times, managers haven’t thoroughly considered questions like these before they get started on a writing project. This is only natural since their primary focus is the creation of software or hardware, management of marketing strategies and campaigns, or the development of new drugs. As a result, they might get what they think they want—in this case, an updated manual—but may miss the opportunity to develop what they really need—a document their customers will use.

After a conversation to address questions like those above, the VP of Engineering changed his view, opting instead to develop a quick reference guide. Not only would it be faster to write and cheaper to create than an update to the full user manual, this document would address 80% of users’ questions and cut the number of calls to the Help Desk dramatically. He further understood that by creating the quick reference guide, the TRA writing team would develop a working relationship with his in-house staff and more hands-on product experience, thus ensuring that the follow-on effort to update the manual would be more efficient in terms of both time and money.

Bottom Line

When revising the user assistance for a new system or application, consider the audience needs carefully before assuming you need to update the same documents used previously. In many cases, you can realize unexpected savings by taking a closer look at ways to make users and those who support them more productive. By doing so, your users will thank you and you may just cut your costs, too.

For More Information

Thanks for reading,

Founder and Manager
Tim Rosa Associates, LLC