Blog for Content Convergence & Integration 2008

Theresa Putkey, a consultant, presented a case study in breaking down silos to achieve cross-departmental cooperation.

A key incentive for cooperation was that the problems had reached a critical stage. The company had not had any full-time writers for a few years, information was hard-to-find or outdated, and the company was not well-positioned to drive users to rely on self-service information instead of calling or emailing.

Here are some of the ways various players interacted with this project:

* The support manager recognized the role that quality documentation played in efficient support services, and embraced a plan for a new integrated support/help system. His buy-in was important for the visibility of the project.

* The support and doc teams worked together to figure out the knowledge base process. Extra flexibility and understanding were required on Putkey's part to reassure support staff when information moved around and old habits for finding it needed to change.

* R&D staff attended a presentation about the project's scope, benefits, and impact to them. People were curious because something fresh was happening in a stagnant department.

* Various people outside the doc department saw an overview of the deliverables and the reuse of content via the high-level information model.

* The graphic designer helped mock up the new support/help system so it would be both attractive and usable.

Other interesting points from this talk:

* When evaluating tools, the particular context mattered. The right tool in this context (Flare) might not be right for another company with different needs.

* Accommodating the needs of the support team was important because they relied on doc to do their jobs well.

* Everyone wanted a change, and their enthusiasm and excitement helped the project go as well as it did.