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Re: Need Advice On How To Begin Outsourcing Tech Pubs
Subject:Re: Need Advice On How To Begin Outsourcing Tech Pubs From:"Steve Schwarzman" <steve -at- writersbookmall -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Sat, 3 Apr 2004 21:09:52 -0500
Dianne wrote:
>What should I expect when working with an outside vendor? How should I
arrange our working relationship? Should I always be the contact person or
should I have the outside writer contact SMEs direct? How much time should I
allow for this new arrangement to be up and running?
Given that your colleagues have *already* been dismissed, I'd say you need
to get this set up really fast.
For the benefit of your company - and for your job protection - I think you
need to add value to this new equation. So I think you need to be more than
an administrator of this new setup. You need to _manage_ the outside
writers - not in the sense of creating contact bottlenecks between them and
the SMEs, but by establishing standards, managing development processes,
deadlines, reviewing deliverables, maintaining ongoing communications with
your management and peer departments, etc. Imagine that you are the manager
of this team - which in the company's eyes, you now are. Find out what your
company defines as success in this new setup (and help define this if you
can to include not just cost savings, but whatever else your customers
really need), and manage to it. Demonstrate your value to your company.
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