TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
DCRs/DCNs can be extremely valuable tools for getting your customers to
state *explicitly* what you are being asked to change, and most importantly,
the date when you are expected to have the changes completed.
I would definitely include the following fields on such a form if I had to
design one:
Date initiated
Date of expected completion
Scope of work (e.g., revise entire document, delete references to previous
products, etc.)
(If requestor is not authorized to act independently) Approver
There are probably dozens of such forms I have seen in various places, but
as others have noted, having this type of documentation is a good safety net
for both you and the customer.
Joe Hauglie
Technical Editor, Texas Instruments - Tucson
jhauglie -at- ti -dot- com
