Summary of Centralized Vs. Decentralized thread (long)

[Heather Ross <Heather -dot- Louise -dot- Ross -at- THEMUTUALGROUP -dot- COM>]

Here is a summary of the pros and cons of centralizing and decentralizing
tech writers, compiled from responses posted to the list and those sent
privately.


                    Centralization Vs. Decentralization
                               Pros and Cons

Centralization

PROS

-    writers can be assigned to certain areas (i.e. Sales, Marketing, IT)
regularly to gain expertise
-    this allows the area who needs the documentation to have a sense of
ownership of the resource
-    gives TWs support groups to fall back on
-    documents have the same look and feel across the company, which allows
for more rapid comprehension
-    shared resources for graphics, production and for writers when needed
-    can collaborate on projects with similar features
-    unified group with common goals
-    keeps documentation specialists closely integrated with R&D groups
-    helps foster co-operation between tech writers and other R&D groups
-    have a more direct say in product development & project management
-    encourages tech writers to focus on their contributions to larger R&D
effort
-    encourages documentation groups to customize their work for the
specific needs of their audience and product: internal vs. external,
hardware vs. software,        different markets, etc.
-    sharing of knowledge, ideas and professional development issues (e.g.,
technical writing developments, software and helpful educational courses,
workshops and  conferences)
-    easier to establish and pool together all skill levels (junior/entry -
intermediate - senior), which makes it easier to distribute work according
to the skill level needed     for the writing project
-    easier performance management because the tech writer manager knows
who they're hiring and what they need to do to evaluate staff output
-    better chance at having a more equitable approach to setting
performance expectations and salary levels
-    gives an opportunity for the tech writer manager to be efficient at
pooling together resources when need be and distribute work according to
the project         requirements
-    easier to manage staff who are basically performing the same function
or job duties
-    maintains a community of practice (i.e. all the tech writers reported
to a tech writer coach and met as a group to discuss professional
development, new tools, etc.).
-    eases resources such as back ups for extended absences, vacations,
etc.
-    sanctions the sharing of best practices among tech writers.
-    allows for a shared accountability to both a profession (tech writing)
and a project (i.e. a manual for a new PC).
-    rubbing shoulders with those of similar professional interests and
concerns


CONS

-    office politics: if the TW belongs to a certain department, that
department can decide internally which projects get priority. With a
centralized pool, who decides            how to measure priority of
projects among departments?
-    SMEs can ignore the TW if they are busy
-    May still remind some of a secretarial pool

Decentralization

PROS

-    sitting with the SMEs makes a TW part of the team; people are more
willing to give information
-    can help project engineers see writers as information developers
involved in product development, not just as the last stop before product
release
-    The size of the organization can have a big impact. If a small
organization uses a decentralized approach, everyone may still be close
enough to also work           together informally as TWs.
-    makes it easier to meet the specific needs of the business areas and
their project requirements (skill level, knowledge, technology) because the
tech writer would   be closer to their users.
-    Some writing projects require a certain amount of "business" knowledge
and this could be more difficult when bringing in a writer who is a
generalist working in         one tech writer dept.


CONS

-    becomes  harder to maintain company-wide standards (style,
terminology, etc.)
-    removes final arbitrator when various managers disagree
-    can put groups at a disadvantage when fighting for resources
-    gives tech writers the feeling of being "scattered" without any
professional direction (isolation)
-    more difficult to arrange for proper back-up for project work because
the "lone, specialized" tech writer belongs to the business dept. and the
other tech writers       belong to their own dept.
-    does not easily facilitate the sharing of knowledge, ideas and
professional development issues (e.g., technical writing developments,
software, educational courses      etc.)
-    does not foster a consistent approach to performance management and
compensation for tech writers as a "profession", as opposed to a "job"
(each dept. sets their   own priorities and if they don't value the tech
writer, it could result in an inequitable situation)
-    don?t always know how we can consistently evaluate performance, salary
range, professional development
-    don?t always know what other areas are doing with tools and
technologies
-    don?t always know how we can best allocate resources for critical time
lines
-    don?t always know how we can leverage an investment in new technology
and tools across all areas that use tech writers


Considerations

-    the type of organization and industry
-    size of company
-    number of resources (e.g., budget, time, people, technology-)
allocated to writing and documentation projects and the priority in which
they are given and the        importance they are given by management
-    how the organization values the tech writer as a profession and where
they see them fitting into the bigger picture of presenting documentation
in a production          environment
-    organizational structure
-    nature of the work in the various business areas - this can influence
what technology is used, the users' business, production and documentation
needs etc.
-    the level of expertise that the technical writers have
-    how good the manager is at:
     managing tech writers
     project management (juggling many different projects at once)
     negotiating with the business areas (don't want to be pulled in too
many directions)


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