From Lemons to Lemonade: Technical Writing Outsourcing as a Dream Come True
Barry SaiffFounder and CEO, Saiff Solutions, Inc.Tagaytay City, Philippines
• Technical communications leader• 32 years of technical documentation
experience• Led writing teams at 6 US companies • Founded Saiff Solutions, Inc. in 2011• Provides content development to
Fortune 500 companies in Japan & US
About the Speaker: Barry Saiff
QUESTION: What is Your Interest/Experience in Technical Writing Outsourcing?Have you experienced:•Working with writers in another country?• Layoffs due to outsourcing?•Being involved in a decision to outsource?•A well-crafted outsourcing plan? A poorly-
implemented plan?•Negative impacts of outsourcing? Positive impacts?•What else??
What is your overall impression ofTECHNICAL WRITING OUTSOURCING?
The 6 Stages of Technical Writing
Stage 1Infancy (1970’s)
Stage 2Youth
(1980’s)
Stage 3Adolescence
(1990’s)
Stage 4Young Adulthood
(2000’s)
Stage 5Adulthood (2010’s)
Stage 6Mid-Life (2015)
The GROWTH of OutsourcingFrom 1970 to 2010, outsourcing grew exponentially. Some examples:• By 2003, 77 global software development firms had R&D operations in India.
• By a recent (2013) estimate, there were 80,000 software developers in the Philippines.
• There are now technical writers in the Philippines with 10+ years experience in topic-based authoring.
DRIVERS of Outsourcing• Labor cost differentials• Growth of global labor market = availability• Communications cost reductions• Global market growth/economic
liberalization• Increased ease of doing business globally• Convergence of global business culture• Increasing productivity• Increasing customer-centric focus on quality
Discuss: TWO Issues, Fears, Pitfalls
What do you think are the major problems with technical writing outsourcing?
WHYOUTSOURCE?
PRODUCTIVITY is a powerful, historical force:
Productivity rises, and everything changes to facilitate rising productivity.
OUTSOURCING SuccessesWhat happens when TWO works well?
OUTSOURCING SuccessesWhat happens when TWO works well?
• Effective global collaboration• Learning• Process Improvement• Improved quality
• Reduced costs• Increased global
responsiveness• Productivity improvements
OUTSOURCING
PitfallsCan bad things happen as a result of
outsourcing technical writing?
OUTSOURCINGPitfalls
Can bad things happen as a result ofoutsourcing technical writing?
• Yes, sometimes.• Often when outsourcing
decisions do not involve technical communicators.
• Resisting outsourcing makes it less likely that you’ll be included in the decision.• What you resist persists.
Can good technical writers lose jobs to outsourcing?
OUTSOURCINGPitfalls
• Yes, sometimes. But not always.• Over 4 years, the # of Saiff Solutions
clients that laid off of in-house writers: 0• Yes, 0. We’ve never been in that
situation.• Yes, layoffs happen. But not in every case.
Discuss: TWO Key Success Factors
What things do you think need to happen to make technical writing outsourcing successful?
The Evolution of TWOFor a long time it seemed that:• Technical writing outsourcing may not
work.• Opposing TWO is the best way to keep
local TW jobs.
CLEAR
that…
Now it is
The Evolution of TWONow it clear that:• Technical writing outsourcing can work
very well.• With technical communicators in
management, we can author TWO strategies, instead of being victims.
• How TWO is done is a crucial question.
TWOIMPLEMENTATION
TWO IMPLEMENTATIONIf you have writers:- As work grows, you can expand capacity at
lower cost via outsourcing.- By reserving advanced tasks for the in-house
team, you can improve team morale and cost-effectiveness.
TWO IMPLEMENTATIONTo determine if TWO is right for YOU:- No one-size-fits-all formula- No simple rule to follow- Quality varies everywhere
TWO IMPLEMENTATION: What do process maturity and content strategy have to do with TWO:- If technical writers struggle to discover
design changes when co-located with engineers…
- Outsourcing may magnify problems.
PROCESS
TWO IMPLEMENTATION: When outsourcing goes wrong, it can be
due to any of the following issues:
RISKS
Location Function INCLUSION Language
TWO IMPLEMENTATION: RISKSEXPERIENCE
LEVEL Culture Competency Management
When outsourcing goes wrong, it can be due to any of the following issues:
• Focus where you can have an impact.• Prepare yourself for change.• Focus on the success of your enterprise.• Focus on improving quality.
TWO IMPLEMENTATION: LESSONS
• Start with process improvement and content strategy.
• Focus on morale and effectiveness. Don’t ignore the need to sell change effectively.
• Use inclusive planning.• Be aware of potential cultural pitfalls.
TWO IMPLEMENTATION: LESSONSFor management:
Assess process maturity and content strategy first, and improve if needed.- Include Tech Comm in planning.- Ensure a realistic financial analysis.- Identify & communicate vision & benefits.- Incorporate team feedback.- Focus on career development.
TWO: KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
Carefully choose country:- Consider language, infrastructure, labor pool.- #1 country in business English: Philippines
(http://www.globalenglish.com/business_english_index)
TWO: KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
Carefully choose provider.Start with a low-risk pilot project.
Understand and accommodate the differences:- Time zone- Language- Culture- Expertise- Background, context
TWO: KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
Include all tech writers in meetings, reviews, scrums, defect tracking, wiki/intranet, email list, etc.Document testing, review = key parts of the project schedule
TWO: KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
Outsourcing, poorly conceived, planned, and executed, can spread, expand, and increase the worst qualities of an organization.
Conclusion
ConclusionOutsourcing, done well, can promote the growth of a thriving organization and contribute to continual improvement.
What is your overall impression ofTECHNICAL WRITING OUTSOURCING?
By 2030, in a typical US company, what % of technical writing will take place outside of the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe?
a. 25% c. 75%b. 50% d. 95%
Final questions
In 2030, how will the number of technical communication jobs in the USA compare to 2015: a. At least twice as many jobs as in 2015? b. More, but not twice as many? c. The same? d. Less?
Email: [email protected]: SaiffSolutionsContact: +1 415 350 2959 +63 917 872 0929Web: www.saiffsolutions.com
Questions & comments!
Bonus Slide: Responses to Survey Questions at Lavacon 2015
How many of you have experienced:Work with off-shore writers: 7Lay-offs due to TWO: 3Involved in TWO decision: 6Well-crafted TWO plan: 2Poorly-crafted TWO plan: 2Any negative TWO impacts: 6Any positive TWO impacts: 2
Overall impression of TWO (at start): Positive: 0 Negative: 4Overall impression of TWO (at end): Positive: 4 Negative: 0 Neutral: 9By 2030, what % of technical writing will be offshore?25% -0, 50%-6, 75%-4, 95%-0By 2030, how will the # of TW jobs in USA compare to 2015?2x-0, 1x-2x-6, 1x-0, <1x-4
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