Technical authors, give your career a shot in the arm. Learn how to plan documentation projects effectively to project manage effectively. Project managers often underestimate the challenges of projects that involve documentation. This leads to limited success because of unrealistic timelines and targets.
I know the process behind the production of multiple documents. Proper project management is crucial, especially when managing complex documentation tasks. While prioritising other aspects of the project over documentation, they fail to ask a professional for their input and guidance. When the technical author(s) arrive and look at the list of documents and the PM timelines, let’s say you can hear our sighs.
We need clear communications if the PM expects to deliver the entire project. How do you manage 60 + documents? How long does it take to write one document? Have it reviewed, but remember that the document might be out of date further along with the project. Clear communication with stakeholders and team members involved in the writing stages is paramount. The project manager must understand the expectations of the technical author(s) they will work with and must effectively project manage to meet those expectations.
Project plans may face issues when updates require time-consuming document review and revision phases. Thus, managing the project efficiently becomes critical.
Project managers and technical writers can work together to succeed on big documentation projects. However, a technical author to lead might be a better idea and offer better results.