Managers of technical publications organizations often are surprised that process redesign can have such spectacular results. Sometimes the process changes require technology; in other cases, simply restructuring of the people processes will do.

BMC Corporation, for example, was about to decrease the production time for their technical manuals from three weeks to two hours after they implemented a document-management system. Cadence Design Systems had similar results with the same technology because they could virtually eliminate all the "tweaking" staff members had been doing on final versions.

But people processes count too. One manager reported that their process steps decreased by more than half. They gained by taking a serious look at how they moved their English language originals through the localization and translation process.

Comtech Services can help you refine processes and institute new ways of getting the job done. We have worked with large and small organizations to find better, more streamlined ways to develop high-quality, customer-focused information deliverables.

Read more about the Information Process Maturity Model.

Organizations looking for global process redefinitions find leadership and encouragement under the watchful presence of Comtech president, Dr. JoAnn Hackos. As a widely recognized expert in process analysis, she works with teams with worldwide membership that must come together to build a single, unified process for the information- and training-development life cycle.

Merging Training and Technical Publications

Traning and technical publications organizations have so much to gain from working together, but that doesn't mean that the process is easy. Differences in style and sometimes incompatible goals can mar an otherwise exciting prospect of sharing knowledge of the customers and the technology.

Our consultants work with your team members to develop new shared processes, find opportunities for information reuse, and consider the benefits of a combined culture, rather than focus on the negatives. Discuss the possibilities with us if you have brought together two cultures and need help in ironing out the wrinkles.

Visit the Download Center to read more about merging documents in JoAnn Hackos's ISPI article, Integrating Training and Documentation.

User-Centered Design

Process redesign is an important part of focusing on users. User-centered products just don't happen by chance. Product developers, marketing specialists, communicators, and interface designers need to develop new methodologies that bring the user to the center.

When we helped the Department of Veterans Affairs create their new clinical system for the Veterans Hospitals, software developers told us that we had "changed their lives." By helping the team develop new methods of working, including users in the design process, introducing usability testing, and involving everyone in the feedback process, we created a better team than ever before.

Let us introduce our User-centered Design Methods to your organization.

1. Develop user profiles based on the results of your user analysis
2. Write user scenarios, develop flow diagrams, and isolate key objects and actions
3. Develop paper prototypes of your designs and test them with users
4. Refine your designs as you test your user scenarios
5. Develop design specifications that communicate with the engineering teams
6. Test the design implementation and refine again

Our User-centered Design Methods move your team quickly and surely to sound design solutions that delight your customers.

Read more in JoAnn Hackos's User and Task Analysis for Interface Design.

Consider bringing our user-centered design workshop, User and Task Analysis for Information Design, in-house to get your team started.

If you would like to learn more about any of our consulting services or you would like to talk to a representative about scheduling an activity, please email or call 303-232-7586.