Managing documentation in a shared ownership environment DevOps Documentation Managing documentation in a shared ownership environment This afternoon I’d like to share with you how doc-department have been able to achieve this by developing a complete product information solution using information that we learned from forums such as this conference, from the ISTC’s communicator magazine and from the wider technical communication community.   With the additional capabilities that such a solution provides, we have been able to break out of the traditional tech comm boundaries and become an integral part of our client’s processes. In the first part of the talk I’ll share with you some of the information that helped doc-department lay the foundations of the solution. In the second part I’ll share some of the lessons we learned while deploying the solution. And to wrap up, I’d like to highlight some areas that doc-department can now support because we have a process that can consistently deliver quality content within our client’s 2 weekly agile cycle. Through the course of the talk I’ll also lay some common tech-comm myths to rest.

No one works any longer, they collaborate. “Not long ago, people in Chrysler’s headquarters joked that four strangers in an elevator qualify as a team. No one works any longer, they collaborate. Collaboration leads to (of course!) innovation, engagement, creativity, and fulfilment. Good managers don’t direct, they facilitate collaboration.” HBR

increase in revenue from product collaborations 15% increase in revenue from product collaborations Marketing communications    We have all been told that Marketing departments are challenged to produce enough content. 2015 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends - Content Marketing Institute - http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/2015_B2B_Research.pdf www.atkearney.com/innovation/collaborative-innovation

collaboration Marketing communications    We have all been told that Marketing departments are challenged to produce enough content. 2015 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends - Content Marketing Institute - http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/2015_B2B_Research.pdf

find teammates who do something you can’t Marketing communications    We have all been told that Marketing departments are challenged to produce enough content. 2015 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends - Content Marketing Institute - http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/2015_B2B_Research.pdf

“social” business uses social technology to foster collaboration 74% “social” business uses social technology to foster collaboration IBMSocialStudy, 2014

strategy first technology follows Marketing communications    We have all been told that Marketing departments are challenged to produce enough content. 2015 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends - Content Marketing Institute - http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/2015_B2B_Research.pdf

“I couldn't do what I did with Linux for Windows, even if I had the source code. The architecture just wouldn't support it." Linus Torvalds,1998   And that content produced by technical communications is good for marketing So doc-department are currently working with Resilient’s Marketing team to provide them with content. We have refined our content model to ensure topics are aligned with marketing requirements so that marketing can reuse or refer to content in their campaigns For example, on-boarding or major releases. We are also looking and using the embedded content capability to deliver marketing messages directly in the UI. - IBM Technical Communications Body of Knowledge

“Is Collaborative Authoring Over-Hyped?“ “A Book Sprint starts with an outline for a book idea, and ends with the production of a printed book “ Anne Gentle, 2009 “Is Collaborative Authoring Over-Hyped?“   And that content produced by technical communications is good for marketing So doc-department are currently working with Resilient’s Marketing team to provide them with content. We have refined our content model to ensure topics are aligned with marketing requirements so that marketing can reuse or refer to content in their campaigns For example, on-boarding or major releases. We are also looking and using the embedded content capability to deliver marketing messages directly in the UI. - IBM Technical Communications Body of Knowledge Tom Johnson, 2012

create and maintain documentation required by product or service produced as result of collaboration Marketing communications    We have all been told that Marketing departments are challenged to produce enough content. 2015 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends - Content Marketing Institute - http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/2015_B2B_Research.pdf

material that provides official information or evidence, or material that serves as a record

tech comms framework is content strategy

content strategy content design process standards Information / content model style guide | DITA | DocBook CSS | template agile | waterfall | kanban PDF | xliff | SCORM content design process standards

waterfall spiral v-shaped iterative open source Serial (>) Develop > Document > Translate Parallel ( ) Develop  Document  Translate Collective () Develop  Document  Translate Virtual Collaborative Writing in the Workplace, Hewett & Robidoux

monarchy hierarchy democracy consensus anarchy scale pace qual. Virtual Collaborative Writing in the Workplace, Hewett & Robidoux

 > >  content strategy content design process standards >  In. Ar  TC SME >   content design UX UI > process TC > standards TC 

collaboration between development and operations to create, deliver and operate a product or service Anne Gentle, 2009

x 2 weeks 2 weeks 2 weeks Docs NOC Development Operations DevOps feedback@docs.com NOC Development Operations DevOps x 2 weeks Service Desk 2 weeks 2 weeks … The challenge   Why did we need to create such a product information solution in the first place? Our client Resilient plc provides a hosted telephony services call smartnumbers The services are accessed through a mobile app and desktop browsers. They have a 2 week development cycle Their application platform is deployed, monitored and supported by their operations team. Their customers are supported by Help Desk agents Customers have administrators who control the services for users in their organisation. As the services matures, it will be resold by channel partners, who will also provision and support their own customers. In addition, for compliance reasons, each release requires a set of PDF documentation to be achieved

documentation as a conversation Anne Gentle, 2009

framework synchronous comms transparent & open collaborative

  >   content strategy design process standards tools TC PO TC TC Dev Ops  tools

   content product system arch. system design troubleshooting TC  DevOps system arch. Dev  Ops  system design troubleshooting Ops 3rd party Dev Ops

documentation as a conversation K’ Base NOC Development Operations Service Desk DevOps 2 weeks … The challenge   Why did we need to create such a product information solution in the first place? Our client Resilient plc provides a hosted telephony services call smartnumbers The services are accessed through a mobile app and desktop browsers. They have a 2 week development cycle Their application platform is deployed, monitored and supported by their operations team. Their customers are supported by Help Desk agents Customers have administrators who control the services for users in their organisation. As the services matures, it will be resold by channel partners, who will also provision and support their own customers. In addition, for compliance reasons, each release requires a set of PDF documentation to be achieved

deconstruct documentation create framework manage each piece appropriately