How to manage change and risk in technical documentation

How to best manage change (and risk) in technical documentation

Change management is an important aspect of project success. It’s not just about setting up a new computer system or updating your processes, however. It’s about ensuring that your company is ready for the change and can do so without disrupting other areas or projects. The purpose of change management is to implement strategies for effecting change, controlling change and helping people to adapt to change.

Change can be difficult to manage, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right tools and strategies, your organization can reduce the stress that comes with change. This is particularly important in technical documentation because changes to processes or systems often require revisions in technical documentation. It’s not just about setting up a new Component Content Management System (CCMS), it’s about ensuring that your company is ready for the change and can do so without disrupting other areas or projects. The purpose of change management is to implement strategies for effecting change, controlling change and helping people to adapt to change.

Val Swisher (Content Rules), David Turner (Data Conversion Laboratory), Robert Johnson and Kurt Keyser (Tahzoo), all join Dipo Ajose-Coker (Componize) in a discussion on Change Management, particularly when it comes to implementing a CCMS and structured writing to technical writing teams.

Managing change is not easy, but the points raised in this discussion will help you feel more comfortable with the transition.

Change Management: What It Is and Why It’s Important ?

When we talk about change management in technical documentation, we are also talking about helping people adapt to change. Few things are more disruptive than implementing a system that also enforces a behavioral change. A change that forces individuals to become components of a larger unit.

While humans have always been referred to a social animals, we lack that particularity of certain animals to be part of a “hive mind”. Unlike ants and bees, humans continue to want to work together while at the same time remain an individual.

The key is to plan for the changes well in advance so that you can communicate them effectively and help your users through any challenges that arise. But before you start planning, there are some important questions that need to be answered:

• What kind of changes will be implemented?
  • What is the purpose of the change?
  • What is your user’s perception of the change?
  • How will your organization communicate this change to its users?
• Who will be affected by the changes?
  How will you ensure that your users are ready for the changes? If a change is going to affect each and every one of your users, then it’s important to make sure they understand why it’s being implemented. It’s not enough to just communicate the changes — you need to communicate how they will affect their working practices.
• How long will the implementation take?
  It’s important to give your users a realistic idea of how long the changes will take. If there are going to be delays, then let them know why and when they can expect the changes to be implemented. If you have any setbacks or obstacles that could delay the implementation date, then communicate those as well so that your users aren’t left in the dark.

In what way does a CCMS/Structured content impact change management?

“A changed to a structured-content strategy is really a cultural change, it’s not a technical change. … you’re fundamentally asking all of your stakeholders to change how they interact with content on that more granular level, and with less control over the published output.” Robert Johnson (Tahzoo).

• Impact of implementing a CCMS on change management:A CCMS will better enable you to manage your content changes. You have a place where all of your content is stored, so that when a change needs to be made (like adding new content or changing an existing piece) it can be done in one central location rather than having multiple people making changes without knowing about each other. This helps ensure that there are no inconsistencies with the content stored within the system and minimizes any confusion for those using it.
• Impact of moving from informal writing to structured writing.
  When you add to that the change in writing methodology to using structured content, it’s a complete mind shift. It affects how you author content, and also how you review that same content.
• One of the biggest impacts is the change required in mindset of “document ownership”.
  In the “good old days” you as a writer owned a manual. You drafted it, made changes and had it reviewed and you finalized it. When a change was required, the team would wait for you to come back from vacation, so as not to touch ‘your document”.
  With structured writing, in components, where these components are used across many documents, the notion of ownership is outdated. The responsibility for a component is shared across many writers. The component needs to be flexible enough to be used in different contexts and by different authors, without losing its meaning or usefulness.
• It’s no longer about the document. It’s about the component. And we all know, in a manual, there are many components. So when someone says to me: “I need to make a change” they now mean changing a component in the CMS and not just making changes to an existing document. This can be quite confusing for people who aren’t familiar with this approach to building manuals. You are merely responsible for one piece of a larger puzzle.
• Structured writing is not about creating content, it’s about creating reusable content that can be used in many different contexts. Your role is to ensure that your component can be reused by anyone and still make sense when read in isolation from the rest of the document.

By adopting a more formal approach to documentation you are able to create more consistent content which will make it easier for your users/readers when they need access to specific information. There are many ways in which this can improve efficiency within your organization including:

• Standardizing how information is presented throughout all departments/divisions so there are no inconsistencies between departments when presenting similar types of information.
• Better tracking metrics so that key performance indicators (KPIs) can be measured more effectively.
• Improved collaboration between different departments based on clear guidelines being set out beforehand rather than just leaving things up in the air until they get written down later!

“Nobody taught us what a component is, even unfortunately, most of the the people coming out of Tech Doc programs today still aren’t being taught how to write for a structured content environment. … And what I see over and over again in my customer base is if they’re not taught, you end up having a 35-page component.” Val Swisher (Content Rules).

What is your experience of how companies handle change management?

Is it usually best to set up a separate team to work on the change? – Or is it better to have a small group of people from different departments who are responsible for this project (and other projects) working together on the same team?

The most common mistake made by companies when managing change in technical documentation is not involving all the stakeholders. This can be because they don’t know who they need to talk to, or they aren’t sure if it’s worth the time and effort. A project fails because of poor change management—the content doesn’t reflect what’s been built, or the content isn’t up-to-date with what is available in production.

Projects fail because of poor change management—the content doesn’t reflect what’s been built, or the content isn’t up-to-date with what is available in production.

How should companies handle change management in this context?

Let’s now discuss strategies for helping your organization embrace change management and risk, which will enable you to create a culture of trust within the technical writing department.

While many organizations have adopted a change management process and put it into practice, most fail to use it for technical documentation. Here are some strategies that can help:

• This kind of change requires governance, it takes rules, it takes maintenance, and probably the biggest, most difficult thing of all, and it requires people to get on the same page.
• Change is a constant. Technology changes rapidly; business processes change; people come and go (and are replaced by new people). Things will happen that you didn’t expect or plan for, but if you have handled it properly those surprises won’t be catastrophic.
• You need to have processes in place so when things do happen (or even when they don’t), everyone knows what their role is and where information can be found if they need it, for example, an employee should be able to access to an online training course.
• Have a champion, or even better, a team of champions who are there to help the change management process. From encouraging good practice, passing feedback up the change from more timid group members, to helping train those who are struggling with the tools or concepts.

What are the invisible challenges in change management that you should be aware of?

The first challenge is that most people think that change is hard, and if you don’t make it difficult, then it will happen automatically. That’s not true. You have to make the effort to communicate clearly with everyone involved in order for them to understand what they need to do and why they need to do it. The second challenge is that when something isn’t working well, people tend to focus on fixing what’s broken rather than looking at how it can be improved—for example, when an employee fails a training course twice

• People are not sure what the change is. They hear about some new technology or process, but they don’t know why it’s being introduced and what it means for them. People don’t know what they need to do. The change may be too broad and require too many people to take action. Or, it might be too narrow and not impact enough people to ensure adoption.
• How will the change impact other initiatives? Changes often happen within organizations at a time when other changes are also taking place. It’s important that these don’t conflict with one another, or cause confusion among stakeholders who aren’t sure which change is more important than another.
• People don’t know how to change. Where do I find the information? How do I adapt my workflow? What should I be aware of? If they can answer these questions, they might still need more information on how to use the new platform or program efficiently in their current roles and responsibilities.
• People don’t know what changes are expected of them—whether that be as part of an individual task or in their overall roles and responsibilities.

What sort of actionable steps can be presented to management and executives to help buy-in?

Your management team might be reluctant to embrace change, especially when it comes to technology. This is because they have a lot of trust invested in the current systems and processes. A lack of confidence in your proposed changes can lead them to resist or delay the implementation process, which could impact how quickly you are able to realize benefits from these changes.

• Here again, you should rely on your champions. Make sure you have a champion on your team who can help sell your vision internally, as well as convince others that they will benefit from making the change. “But you also need for the executive champion to be actively engaged!” Robert Johnson (Tahzoo).
• Make sure you have an airtight business case that supports why this effort needs to happen at this time, and provide quantifiable evidence that shows how implementing these new technologies will save money (or increase revenue).
• Create cost/benefit analysis reports for each proposed technology as well as for any alternative solutions considered during planning stages; make sure these are presented clearly, so everyone understands what is being proposed and why it’s important for projects like yours moving forward.
• Change management must be a non-negotiable from the start of the project.

How do we get actors to willingly join the challenge as opposed to feeling it is imposed?

When you’re managing change, it’s important to give people a clear view of the benefits and risks, as well as timelines and costs. This way they can see how their own work will be affected by these changes, as well as what (if any) benefits there might be for them in adopting new processes. The key here is to be transparent and clear about the changes that are being made, as well as why they’re important. You can also use this opportunity to showcase how these changes will improve the quality of your product or service overall. If you can’t give people a clear view of the benefits and risks, as well as timelines and costs, then it’s unlikely that they will be willing to join the challenge.

How do we get users to adopt new processes? If you’re in an organization where change is difficult, then you may need to start with a pilot project or two before rolling out changes across your entire organization. By starting small, you can get feedback from stakeholders on what works well (or not) It’s also important to understand the culture of the organization, and how this will affect change management. Some companies are more hierarchical than others—if you’re working in a large, bureaucratic organization where everyone reports up through a chain of command, it can be difficult to get people on board with change because they feel as though their manager has not been consulted or informed.

If there are multiple teams involved in this process, you’ll need to communicate with all of them and establish a clear chain of command so everyone knows who is making decisions on behalf of the group as a whole.

It’s important to understand the needs of each team and how they relate to one another. If there are multiple teams involved in this process, you’ll need to communicate with all of them and establish a clear chain of command so everyone knows who is making decisions on behalf of the group as a whole.

How do you maintain regulatory compliance during change management?

The most important step to maintaining regulatory change management is to create an environment where your organization can learn from mistakes. You need to document all changes and maintain records of them so you know what has been done and when it was done. This will help ensure that nothing falls through the cracks or gets overlooked as time goes on.

Regulatory change management is an essential component of risk management.

How do you remain compliant in, in a world with structured content, where you’ve got pieces all over the place shared across different manuals, or different products?

“… because especially for example, medical devices, you don’t approve components, you approve complete units, right, you approve a complete IfU …” Robert Johnson (Tahzoo)

• Establish a process that is compliant and repeatable, such as an internal audit.It is important to have a process that everyone understands, so that as many people as possible can participate in making sure it is followed correctly. If you’re trying to figure out how to make this happen, start by getting a handle on the problem. What are the specific requirements and standards you need to meet? Where do they come from? How do they relate back to each other?
• Educate your team on good practice, and make sure they understand the importance of compliance with industry regulations (e.g., ISO 9001). You may even want to take the time to create a simple flow chart that demonstrates how your organization’s procedures connect with each other. This will help in identifying gaps in your process and can be used as an excellent tool for training purposes.
• The next step is to define your process and put it in place. This should be a collaborative effort, as everyone will have a different perspective on what they think needs to happen. As you work through this process, make sure that everyone understands how each step fits into the overall picture. If there are any gaps or inconsistencies, address them immediately so that they don’t become bigger problems down the road.
• Encourage internal champions who can be relied upon to provide guidance when questions arise during technical documentation development.

You must create an audit process that’s just as robust as our content creation process.

What happens if your “champion” or executive sponsor leaves?

What happens when the DITA expert, Information Architect, Content Strategist or other who leaves the company? What should you do to make sure your systems are not person dependent.

The most obvious thing to do is to make sure you have more than one champion. If your champion leaves, another should step in. You should also build a team of champions rather than having just one. Who will be the new champion? What about if that person leaves too?

You may need to create a training program for the people who will be doing content development, DITA formatting and quality assurance. Train them on how to use your authoring tools, how to write in DITA or whatever format you choose, as well as how to do proper technical writing. Show them examples of good content and bad content so that they can recognize what makes good technical documentation vs bad technical documentation.

You may also want to create a community of practice for your technical writer community. This is a group of people who meet regularly in person (or virtually) to discuss issues related to technical writing, including how it fits into the larger organization and how to be more effective at their jobs.

Key elements to successful change management

Technology is easy, people are hard

This is a saying that has been repeated many times over the years, and it’s true. The most successful technology projects are those that involve a change in the way people work or think. But this can be difficult because of the human element involved. Here are some key elements to successful change management:

Build buy-in

Get everyone involved in the process. Include your technical writers, developers and subject matter experts in discussions about how this project will affect them and their workflows. This can be done through meetings, surveys or even design thinking exercises.
Without buy in from users, it doesn’t matter how good the technology is…

Define a change management process

Lack of a change management process is at the top of the list of the 70% of companies where technology introduction projects have failed. A change management process will help you to identify the steps you need to take and when, as well as who needs to be involved. It should include a communications plan for communicating with users about what’s happening, what they can expect and how they can get involved.
The process should be clearly defined and include a timeline, who is responsible for each step, how input will be solicited and what the expected outcomes are. This can help prevent confusion or misunderstandings when it’s time to make changes.

Use 100% of your new system or as near to that as you can

Get the most use out of your system right from first use, instead of just “taxiing around the tarmac in your shiny new multimillion dollar fighter jet”. Start by creating a user guide that clearly outlines how the system works. This will not only help you test it out but also ensure that users have a clear understanding of what they need to do when using your software.
If your system is complicated, then it’s important to make sure that the first experience with it is positive. Make sure users know exactly what they need to do and how they can accomplish their goals. This helps people get comfortable with how the system works right away instead of leaving them feeling frustrated or confused.

Plan for change

Start planning for the change long before making the change. Work closely with your implementation team/consultants to get the best out of your system. They do not know what you want unless you ask for it.
The plan should also include how any training will be delivered and what support is available if people have questions or issues during the transition period.

Incentivize and reward

Find ways to incentivize and reward, but also to quickly spot dissidents in order to better handle the issues. Note that reward is not necessarily tangible, likes in a Facebook post are just as rewarding and part of the reason behind its success!

Be realistic with your expectations

Be realistic in what you want the system to do. When implementing a CCMS, it’s easy to get caught up in the shine of new technology and forget that your ultimate goal is for users to be able do what they want—not struggle with processes or have too many options.
In some regulated industries, you still need to approve the final output file and not the source content, so processes should reflect that additional step.

And finally, a few bite-sized tips

• Make change management non-negotiable at the start of the project
• Don’t blame the tool. You chose it after all!
• A change to structured writing is a cultural change not a technological change

Mistakes to avoid

• Avoid unrealistic deadlines and time frames for implementing a technology change project
• Avoid a lack of communication between key stakeholders
• Avoid a lack of a governance framework to support change projects
• Avoid failures to educate and train end users on the new technology/process. For example, learn to spot the 35-page component topic and educate the writer before the practice becomes endemic
• Avoid ignoring the human element of change
• Avoid focusing too much on the technology and not enough on the business problem it solves
• Avoid having a lack of clear direction from the top of an organization
• Avoid relying on just one champion within your organization
• Avoid minimizing costs and impacts of the change, just to obtain buy in from management or other users (e.g., by underplaying impacts)

Conclusion

Change management is the process of managing a group’s emotional response to change. These emotions may include resistance, fear, loss, and even chaos in some cases.

Change management can be applied to any type of business activity such as product development or marketing campaigns. It involves identifying what changes need to happen within an organization and how those changes will be implemented so they do not negatively impact productivity or morale.

At the end of the day, change is inevitable and it’s not something we can avoid. With proper planning and good communication with stakeholders, it can be a lot easier to roll out new processes or initiatives in your organization.

About the panelists