change your authoring tool with zero downtime

Change Your Authoring Tool with Zero Downtime

Deepa Aswani, Steve AndersonSalesforce Documentation and User Assistance

What we set out to doSmoothly transition our large doc team to using a new authoring tool…• In a single day• With no downtime

How we did this

Planning & Procureme

nt

Beta

Rollout

Support

Feb ’14

April ’14

Jun ’14

Ongoing

What this talk is really aboutManaging big process changes across your team in the least disruptive way.

• Communication• Validating the upcoming change • Rollout and support

But first, a couple things…

Thank you

We won’t be (intentionally) using the names of the software we use.

Talk to your team

Talk to your teamOver-communicate.

• Ask and listen• Broadcast

• Plans• Point of contact• Documentation• Dates

Planning & Procureme

nt

Beta

Rollout

Support

Planning & Procurement

Feb ’14

April ’14

Jun ’14

Ongoing

Identify your goals and issues

• Agree on what you are trying to accomplish.

• Identify the issues that make it hard for you to accomplish that goal.

• Keep asking yourself, “Is that actually an issue or is that a symptom?”

So we want a CMS right?

Don’t worry about the solution (yet).

Propose some solutions

• Identify some solutions

• Narrow down to 2-3 options

• Test them

• Present your proposal

• Have the team pick one

Set the stageDo everything you can beforehand.

• Licenses

• Security

• Configuration

Planning & Procureme

nt

Beta

Rollout

Support

Feb ’14

April ’14

Jun ’14

Ongoing

Beta

Beta testing

Beta testing

• Train the beta users• Collaborate (Chatter/Slack, etc.)• Trust your beta testers• Track enhancement requests and

issues publicly• Fix issues that arise• Iterate based on beta testing

– Update training– Add customizations– Create workflows

• Back out what doesn’t work

Planning & Procureme

nt

Beta

Rollout

Support

Feb ’14

April ’14

Jun ’14

Ongoing

Rollout

Manage expectations

Manage expectationsBe frank about the learning curve.

• You can’t make everyone happy. (But promise to try.)

• Things will break.

• Remind them about what’s improving (or not).

Get them prepped earlyHave the software available a few weeks before training.

• Handle issues before the

training

• Provide clear instructions

and doc

• Package key configuration

When, How, Where

• One session or four?

• Presentation or workshop?

• Need help?

• Communicate milestones

In the training• Go over all key tasks at least once

• Show, don’t tell

• Take as long as you need

• Inform them about known issues from the beta

Planning & Procureme

nt

Beta

Rollout

Support

Feb ’14

April ’14

Jun ’14

Ongoing

Rollout

Follow up

• Formal and informal– Collaboration forum – Office hours– Walk the halls and ask personally

• Encourage and track enhancement requests

• Plan additional training if required

Measure success

• Track and analyze reported issues

• Hold a retrospective

• Get productivity metrics if possible

• Send out a survey

So how did it go?

“I’ve been through a number of tool transitions over the years and this was by far the best organized and smoothest.”

“I've been a tech writer for 25 years and I've *never* seen such a smooth transition from one tool to another. EVER.”

A Quick Summary• 70 writers, 5 people in the tools team• 6 months from procurement to transition• 4 workshop-style training sessions

– 4.5 hours per session– 2 trainers + 2 helper experts per session

• Training goals– Author in the new tool by the end of the training session– Zero downtime

• We were able to transition in one day, with no downtime!

Thank you!

Got questions?Deepa Aswani

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepaaswani

Steve Andersonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/stevelanderson @sanderson_sfdc