As a Technical Writer, you have no control over the number of revisions a document will go through when it comes to, for example, the Requirements document or the Technical and Functional Specifications. Even if you have attended every meeting to gather information for the new product, problems will arise. Why?
- Because more than likely, the product/application will in all probability have new requirements or changes at the beginning of the project and that will flow down to your initial writings. To avoid frustration, be flexible enough to go with the flow and update your documents as often as needed before the final approval of the documents are agreed upon.
- Because once the stakeholder or client sees a prototype, they might see things that they would like changed or added. When this occurs, be sure to document the fact and update all appropriate documents, i.e., the Requirements document, with authorization and dates. The Requirements document contains high-level material, along with critical client/stakeholder requirements. Be sure to make note of all the critical prerequisites at the front of the Requirements document as well as within any Technical and Functional Specifications. Note: ensure all critical information is also stated within the Test Plans to ensure validity.
A good Technical Writer has to be flexible enough to maintain the accuracy of documents by staying on top of all changes. Changes include and are not limited to updates to the application/product, SMEs (Subject Matter Experts), management, resources, timelines, etc. In other words, anything that has to do with the project.
A good Technical Writer will always take the initiative to perform some research to confirm that what was stated at the meeting could be executed. Make sure you know and are able to question the SMEs involved. Ask the SME if what was stated so far at the meeting is doable. Find out if there are any roadblocks or bottlenecks to the end result. Sometimes meetings are full of twists and turns and ideas get thrown around very quickly and certain issues could be lost. If you are not the recorder of the meeting, and are unclear of certain information, take it upon yourself to get all the facts and present them at the next meeting to ensure that everyone is aware of the requirements and are on the same page and have the same understanding.
If incorrect requirements exist, then the wrong resources may be selected, or the timeline might be incorrect, just to mention a few. Even though you do your best, there still might be changes down the road due to unforeseen circumstances, so be aware and be flexible to work with the modifications and adjust your documents accordingly. It is not easy to be a Technical Writer. Think of yourself under this situation as a mediator or intermediary – someone who is the liaison between two factions and who is trying to get the right information or to connect the dots to produce the right outcome.
Gail Zack Anderson, President of Applause, Inc., has nearly 20 years experience in training and coaching. She
provides individual presentation coaching, and leads effective presentation workshops and effective trainer workshops.
Theresa Pojuner is a Documentation Specialist with over 20 years of writing experience and is skilled in many areas of documentation, for example, Style Guides, Training Manuals and Test Cases, wth a specialty n Technical Writing and Procedures.