The Technical Communicator's Transformation: Publishing On-Time and On-Quality  

Results from Aberdeen’s study of over 360 technical publications department indicate that most organizations adopting topic-based authoring see benefits primarily in terms of project schedule improvements. However, a few see consistent improvements to authoring budgets, localization costs, and the quality of communications. Aberdeen’s research suggests that these differences largely result from how topic-based methodology is implemented and supported. Making the transition to a topic-based authoring requires a dramatic shift in the daily operations of a technical communications department. Meeting the challenges transitioning to a structured authoring approach can result in a wide range of performance benefits. Failing to adequately address these challenges can add an unprecedented layer of complexity that can significantly burden technical communications projects. However, findings ways to successfully evade these obstacles provides the opportunity to achieve greater value from the initiative. This report identifies the attributes most common to the Best-in-Class and provides a guide for organizations attempting to realize the potential of topic-based authoring.

David Houlihan. Aberdeen Group (2008). Organizations>Technology>Technical Writing>White Papers