Keeping Costs Down

Meeting increased demand for documentation and courseware development while keeping costs down

It is no secret that companies have been and continue to run lean as we exit the recession and enter the next growth phase.  The challenge is how to support the recent and expected growth going forward while keeping tight control over expenses to drive profit.

There has been a renaissance in new product development and launches, particularly in the technology and manufacturing sectors, which is driven by recent economic growth.  With the memory of drastic cost cutting measures of the past still fresh, company management sees a strategic advantage to outsourcing non-core competencies such as documentation and courseware development.

Outsourcing these functions provides several key benefits.  First, it allows the company to focus resources and energy into the areas of business that it does best and makes the most money.  Relying on outside resources makes it possible to lever up or down the investment in documentation to match demand - something that is much more difficult with an in-house department.  Companies also benefit from best practices and expertise offered by documentation and courseware service providers that have been honed over many years and many client projects.

When companies make the strategic decision to outsource courseware and documentation development it is important to find the right partner and to understand the best way to manage that relationship.  Outsourcing should reduce the workload, not add to it.

Here are ten tips to successfully outsourcing technical documentation: 

1. Set the right budget:  Not all technical documentation projects are the same.  Make sure your budget is consistent with your expectations.
2. Avoid the “last-minute” scramble:  Integrate product documentation into the product development cycle from its beginning.
3. Get buy-in from subject matter experts:  High-quality product documentation relies on the participation of the in-house staff with expert knowledge.  They must actively participate in the process.
4. Define technical requirements:  Don’t assume your technical documentation services provider has the exact IT infrastructure needed to run, test and document your product.  Anticipate and build those considerations into the planning.
5. Define realistic review and approval cycles:  Meeting deadlines requires everyone’s participation, and outsourcing technical documentation services does not eliminate the need for timely reviews and approvals.  Spell it out for all involved.
6. Define roles and responsibilities:  Think of the outsourced documentation team as an extension of your company’s capabilities.  There may be overlapping roles that require assigning final responsibility.
7. Plan for localization:  Content intended for multiple global markets requires a specialized approach to writing, illustration and formatting, which can save time and cost during translation.
8. Define audience and objectives: Technical documentation is most efficient and cost-effective when it is designed to meet the needs of the target audience. 
9. Choose a seasoned, financially stable vendor:  An effective outsourcing organization requires an infrastructure that can scale to meet department and company needs.
10. Decide if project management is required:  Complex technical documentation projects usually have numerous milestones, with various dependencies, that make project management expertise essential.  Make certain your technical documentation services provider can supply that expertise.

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