Info. Design & Delivery Process Re-engineering

["Bellinger, Gaye" <glbellinger -at- BUTLERMFG -dot- ORG>]

My company is wrestling with a problem related to the flow of
information through the company. Our current process for handling the
flow of information through the company (a.k.a., our documentation
process) was designed several years ago by business experts (vs.
technical communicators) and no longer supports our business processes,
which have changed over time.

We currently have certain types of documents (for example, product
engineering letters, best known practices, design practice letters) in
place. However, Product A may be discussed in four product engineering
letters, each of which is authored by a different business expert at a
different point in time. In the documentation process there is nothing
that requires these authors to talk to each other, nothing that ensures
that all the information about a product is included in a letter (or
anywhere else), and nothing that ensures that these documents are ever
maintained after they are initially published.  As a result, internal
users have extreme difficulty finding all the information for a specific
product because it may be scattered across several different types of
documents and/or across several different documents of the same type. In
addition, when they do find information, they can't trust that it is
current and reliable. Furthermore, each person seeking information on a
topic must go through the same extensive research process.

Recently, it was discovered that the authors of 108 of these documents
had either left the company, retired, or died. The answer in the current
process was to assign new authors to the documents; however, that
doesn't deal with the underlying problem of keeping the information
current. It doesn't even deal with how we track authors to determine
whether they are still with the company, in the appropriate department,
etc. It's just a Band-Aid approach. There are so many holes in the
process; great gaping holes.

Well, upper-management has received a proposal from the owners of the
current documentation process regarding the purchase of a document
management system (I don't know all the details). However, many in
upper-management are not in love with the proposal. I believe they don't
have faith that a document management system will solve all the
problems. I couldn't agree more! It may turn out that a document
management system is necessary; however, we haven't done sufficient
research to determine what the specific problems are. I believe we need
to map how information is currently disseminated throughout the company;
examine the current business processes to determine who needs what
information when (are these types of documents even necessary any
more?); and then identify the bottlenecks, gaps, etc. in the current
process so we can put in some short-term fixes. Most importantly, after
that, we need to work on developing a new documentation process that
better supports our current business processes. This may mean doing away
with the current document types altogether. Then, and only then, should
we discuss start discussing the delivery system options (for example,
hardcopy, intranet, CD, help files).

Well, I've been spouting off for months that we need to focus on this
issue and now it's time to put seat to saddle leather. My manager has
suggested that we arrange a meeting with the powers that be to discuss
the issue. Of course, one approach would be for my group to take on this
project, do the necessary research, design the new process, etc.;
however, we are a five person group and are already understaffed for our
current project load. What I would like to propose is that our team
coordinate the project but that we hire a consultant/consulting firm
specializing in Information Design and Delivery Process Re-engineering
to do the necessary legwork (for example, interviewing SMEs) and
recommend a new process. My group would then work with them to develop
the new documentation process. My only problem is, and here's where
you-all come in, I don't know of a consultant or consulting firm that
specializes in information design and delivery process re-engineering.
We don't want to analyze and re-engineer our business processes. We want
to focus on information management issues. Does anyone know of a firm or
a person who would be suited for this project?  The people I thought of
were JoAnn Hackos and/or Ginny Redish. All suggestions are appreciated.
Feel free to reply to me directly. I will summarize for the list if
there's interest.

Gaye L. Bellinger
glbellinger -at- butlermfg -dot- org