In difficult economic times, many companies are looking at ways to reduce costs while maintaining quality. One thing that many companies decide to outsource is the development of their technical manuals. This can be a very successful way to streamline your operation if all parties understand the process and stick to predetermined guidelines. This article lists six keys to a successful technical manual outsourcing arrangement.
1. Get on the same page. Once everybody knows the rules of the game, the project will have a greater chance to succeed. Getting the rules laid out properly begins with a detailed proposal describing what will be accomplished. The details of the technical manual including content, layout, arrangement, format, graphics used, and other aspects should be defined to the extent possible. One key thing to try and quantify is the size or scope of the document. To gain an understanding of how big the project will be, develop an outline and try to assign estimated page counts to each chapter.
2. Assign Responsibilities. If nobody knows who is responsible for what, then nobody will be responsible for anything. Every project should have one individual in the client’s office identified as the primary point of contact. All files and communications should flow through this person. Individual contributors can communicate with the technical writers, but the primary point of contact should always be copied.
3. Set the fee. My technical writing company, Allard, works almost exclusively on a firm, fixed-price basis. Clients appreciate this approach, as it allows them to budget with a degree of confidence and not worry about cost overruns or overcharges. It also provides us with an incentive to get the project completed on time, if not early.
4. Set a schedule. Deadlines exist for a reason. If there are no deadlines then very little will get accomplished - it is just human nature. But all parties involved should recognize that schedules are very seldom met with no slippage at all. It is a very rare technical writing project that hits every milestone with no delays due to late design changes, revisions, delays due to the unavailability of key individuals, etc.
5. Get a signature. When a key phase of the project is sent to the customer for review, it should be standard practice to get the client to sign off on the delivery. The client should have the appropriate staff review the submittal and sign a document (or send an email) indicating that he approves/disapproves. This will ensure that, once you reach the end of the project, everybody knows what the final product is going to be.
6. Be patient. If you are outsourcing your technical writing for the first time, you should understand that there will be a learning curve. The writers have to become familiar with the technology, the product, and the individuals involved. The client will have to learn what is expected in terms of the level of detail, the typical turnaround, and other facets of the project. The first project is typically somewhat rocky, but if everybody is patient and perseveres, the next project will invariably go better.
Our library of completed projects fills almost an entire office. In over 20 years of technical writing, we have developed a good working relationship with dozens of clients, many of whom have outsourced their projects to Allard for many years. If your company will heed the suggestions in this list, it will help your next project proceed smoothly.
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