Ten Rules for Bad Development

here are advantages to being a bad development manager. For one thing, you don’t stand out from the crowd; most development managers are pretty bad. For another thing, bad development managers have a knack for getting promoted in the face of all evidence to the contrary. With mediocrity as the norm, bad development managers have an edge: nobody expects much of them. Perhaps best of all, bad development managers don’t have to do a lot of original thinking. This article identifies the 10 most common things that bad development managers know in their bones. If you follow all 10 of these rules, you’ll be able to hold your head up as the baddest of the bad.

Hedtke, John. IEEE PCS (2005). Articles>Project Management>Documentation

Using Downtime Effectively as the Deadline Approaches  

Technical communicators are often expected to write manuals and Help systems concurrently with programmers as they develop the product. While this helps ensure the documentation is ready when a product is released, it also creates some headaches for the writer. Many of the features that must be documented aren't functional until late in the development cycle. The writer must then wait for the features to be completed, while anxiously watching the deadline grow nearer. Fortunately, by keeping a sharp eye on planning and making advance preparations, the writer can minimize the effects of the unavoidable, last-minute rush to the finish.

Danda, Matthew. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Documentation>Project Management

Using PERT to Plan and Schedule Your Documentation Projects  

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is a proven project management tool that can be applied to documentation projects. PERT is used to identify: (a) the interrelationships between the various milestones of a project, and (b) the critical path of activities, the path more resources should be concentrated to complete the project on schedule. A PERT network is a graphical representation of the plan and schedule of the project. The technique is effective in non-repetitive documentation projects where project managers have an accurate assessment of their resources.

Aikat, Shish. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Documentation>Project Management

Topic-Based Writing to the Rescue: Project Considerations for Managers

The purpose of this case study is neither to simply rehash the project nor to provide a pressure-cooker story that others can use as a comparative benchmark. This article looks at the decision points within the project and provides an analysis from a real-life, practical approach that other technical communication managers can use when called upon to engage in a rescue project of their own.

Bailie, Rahel Anne. TechCom Manager (2008). Articles>Documentation>Project Management>Case Studies

Ten Ways to Save Money When Publishing a Manual

Several hints on how to produce professional documentation less expensively.

Rosenberg, Nad. TechWRITE (2005). Articles>Documentation>Financial>Project Management

Managing Documentation Projects: Keeping the Plates Spinning

A product is only as good as its information. With good information, customers can use the product--be it a piece of software, a hand-held electronic device, or a supersonic aircraft--and are more likely to hold a good opinion of its manufacturer. Without good information, no matter how good the product is, customers will be frustrated and will probably look elsewhere. It's not a stretch to say that the documentation project manager is instrumental in determining whether a product succeeds.

Kunz, Lawrence D. SDI Global Solutions (2009). Articles>Documentation>Project Management

Managing a Documentation Project Successfully: More Jelly and Ice Cream

This video on simplifying business, using the metaphor of organising a children’s party, made me smile and consider how successful documentation projects are managed. The presenter is suggesting managers need to, in complex systems, give up rigid control from above. Instead, they should watch for organisational patterns, encouraging the good and discouraging the bad.

Pratt, Ellis. Cherryleaf (2009). Articles>Management>Documentation>Project Management