It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Your Tech Comm Team!

Maybe they aren’t faster than a speeding bullet (although that would be nice) or more powerful than a locomotive. Maybe they can’t burst into flames, turn invisible, walk through walls, fly, or read your mind (that would be nice, too). But that doesn’t mean that your technical communications team can’t save the day.

As a business, you have a product or service to offer, and to let the world know how, when, where, and why to use it, you need an expert technical communications team.

“I work alone.”
Wolverine was cool, but without the X-Men, he could never have accomplished the things he did.

A team is made up of individuals, so it stands to reason that an effective team is made up of effective individuals. The Justice League needed the best of the best. They needed members who were able to fly, live under water, wield a golden lasso, or run faster than the speed of light. You need the best of the best, too—a tech comm team that can write, design, edit, and work together to accomplish every project you send its way.

In developing documentation, writers and designers need to gather information, identify project requirements, become familiar with the subject, and most importantly write and design effectively. Editors need to be grammar, syntax, and style guides experts as well as observant, careful, and patient in order to improve writing for publication.

A talented, dedicated, and experienced staff of writers, designers, editors is essential to the success of all documentation projects.

“Set phasers to stun.”
Okay, so Captain Kirk and Spock weren’t superheroes, but what would they have been without their weapons? (Plus, the phrase was catchy.)

An effective tech comm team needs to be familiar with leading technology in the communications field. Companies develop new software daily that simplify processes from designing an illustration to creating a rapid eLearning environment.

Thirty years ago, the latest and greatest asset to technical communications was a copying machine that allowed an instructional designer to draw an illustration on paper, tape it to the document, and then copy it to produce a completed page. What then took half of a day’s work to accomplish now takes minutes with software like Adobe Illustrator and InDesign.

Tired of sitting in the conference room of yore and listening to a long-winded instructor explain your new training policies and procedures? Imagine sitting at a computer viewing an interactive learning environment with audio, visual, video, and assessment features allowing you to control the pace! If your tech comm team is familiar with Articulate Rapid eLearning Studio or similar software, then such a scenario could be a reality.

Using the up-to-date, industry-leading software can make all the difference in efficiency and presentation quality.

“With great power comes great responsibility.”
Peter Parker had to learn this lesson the hard way, but the writers, editors, and designers on your payroll should know this from the start.

Once research and development are through, the tech comm team is in control of your project. It is their responsibility not only to meet deadlines and budgets, but to ensure that they meet every objective to produce a product you will be proud of. While the writers are busy writing, the designers are busy designing, and editors are busy editing, who has time to coordinate all the details of project cohesion?

Projects need managers. Someone needs to oversee all areas of documentation development in order to meet every objective. Because managers are accountable for what they oversee, they push their teams to go beyond the status quo, creating products that clients can be proud of.

If you do not have a documentation department on site, there are companies who have super technical communications teams, ready and willing to save the day for your project.

Written by: Johnathan Cunningham, ProEdit


Need help with a project?  Contact ProEdit for a free quote or give us a call at 1-888-776-3348.

Consider eLearning

One of the latest trends grabbing headlines is eLearning. But is it all just hype? Hype without substances ends up in wasted time and resources. In this economy, that kind of mistake can be fatal. Is eLearning all that it is cracked up to be? Could it work for you? Is there substance behind the hype?

These are common questions, so here’s some information to help you decide if eLearning is the right choice for you.

Cost

Making the switch from instructor-led training (ILT) to eLearning really can cut your costs. For one thing, eLearning cuts the time needed for people to go through the data in half. But there are other cost savings, too—travel, facilities, breaks, fees, and printouts. For those of you who like the details and numbers, you can click here to peruse the nuts and bolts of eLearning.

Flexibility

Flexibility is a huge advantage of the eLearning environment. Anywhere, anytime is hard to beat! Of course, eLearning is confined to the limitations of your LMS and Web access, but the options are expounded. Your people can choose times that are convenient for them. This cuts down on juggling and rearranging of meetings and schedules. With modules that can be broken down into bite-sized chunks of information, the training easily slides into the free spaces of their day. Also, entire days out of the office aren’t needed. This makes your customers very happy.

Control of Content

Not that you have to be a control freak, but it is helpful when everyone is on the same page. With ILT, sometimes different points are highlighted and others fade to the background. With standardized modules, everyone gets the same message.

You also have the freedom to target a specific group. Let’s say IT needs more data points. Your HR people would be off counting ceiling tiles if this topic were covered in an all-encompassing meeting. With modules geared to specific groups, people get what they need without the non-essentials.

Greater Retention

Not everyone is an auditory learner. And for these people, sitting through a lecture can be very painful. But give them videos and interactive media, and they’ll pick things up very quickly. One of the great things about eLearning is you can target different learning styles. Each group will spend time in the arena that appeals to them. Users can also move at their own pace. And because technology doesn’t care how often you press “rewind” and “play,” it is easy to go back and review as needed. This is especially helpful for complicated processes or new information. Quizzes and interactive data also help to assimilate the data.

Ease of Use

More and more programs are making it easier and less expensive to create top-notch training modules. One program ProEdit uses is Articulate Studio. With programs like this, a talented instructional designer can create effects that keep the content engaging and interactive. Updates and changes are also easily managed. This keeps your people up to speed and better equipped to handle the changes.
 
Think eLearning is just sitting in front of a computer listening to lectures?  Not at all!  It is so much more…well, entertaining.  And engaged people learn.  When you consider the cost savings and other advantages, it just makes sense.

Receive a free price quote on your instructional design needs, or give us a call at 1-888-776-3348 to discuss your project.