the lean user manual - madcap software
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The Lean user manual
Ellis PrattCherryleaf
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Overview
1. Background
2. What is Lean?
3. Taking a Lean view of User Assistance (UA)
4. Applying Lean to the writing process
5. Take-aways
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
1. Background
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Director of Cherryleaf
UK technical writing services company
I speak at conferences
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Director of Cherryleaf
UK technical writing services company
I speak at conferences
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
UA Europe conference
“What's just enough documentation?”
Dom Smith, Red Gate Software
“Any colour... so long as it is black”
Tony Self, HyperWrite
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
A long time ago
When
‘tablets’
meant
Image: Pierre Guinoiseau
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
A long time ago
And when
‘Madcap Flare’
meant
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
I wrote my dissertation
“A Systems analysis of manufacturing
production methods”
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
I wondered
Could we use the latest manufacturing ideas in Technical Publications?
X
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
I wondered
Could we use “Lean” in Technical Publications?
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
I also wondered
Could it help address some of the challenges of working in an Agile environment?
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
I also wondered
What would a “Lean” company think of Technical Publications?
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
2. What is Lean?
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What is Lean?
A process for making things
Based on the Toyota Production System
Used today in healthcare, programming and other areas
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
What is Lean?
A relative of Agile &
Six Sigma methodologies
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Lean in a nutshell
Maximise value to the customer
Minimise waste
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Waste in Lean
1. Waiting
2. Over processing
3. Rework and correcting
4. Moving things
5. Processing waste
6. Inventory
7. Talent misused
8. Not meeting customer’s requirements
Lean breaks waste down into 7 (or 8)
categories
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
We’ll focus on the three original wastes
MudaNot adding value to the user
MuriOverburden
Too difficult / Too much
MuraUnevenness
Waiting
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
3. Taking a Lean view of User Assistance
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Taking a Lean view of User Assistance
If we’re a Lean organisation,
should we be producing
User Assistance? ?Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Taking a Lean view of User Assistance
Is what Technical Writers create a waste or does it add value?
How can we tell? ?Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Is UA a waste or does it add value?
Five questions a Lean consultant would ask
Mark Eaton CEng BSc MSc MBA FIET FIOM FRAS, and holder of the Viscount Nuffield Medal
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Is UA a waste or does it add value?
1.
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Is UA a waste or does it add value?
1. Will the client pay for it to be produced?
A client
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Is UA a waste or does it add value?
2.
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Is UA a waste or does it add value?
2. If they won’t pay, is it essential waste?
A compelling need, like tests and inspections
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Is UA a waste or does it add value?
3.
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Is UA a waste or does it add value?
3. Can it significantly improve the user’s productivity?
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Can it significantly improve the user’s productivity?
How can we maximise value for them?
How can we minimise when they are wasteful?
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Can it significantly improve the user’s productivity?
Not adding value to the user?
Too difficult?
Unevenness & waiting?
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Does embedded Help keep users’ work flowing?
Does it reduce unevenness and waiting?
Can it significantly improve the user’s productivity?
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
How can we tell?
Measure to discover what really adds value
Verify your assumptions
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A/B testing
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Support/Q2HelpfulnessTests
A B
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Experiments
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Measure to discover what adds value
Track what users do next
User ratings of topics
Benchmarking against support calls
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Is UA a waste or does it add value?
4.
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Is UA a waste or does it add value?
4. Can it lower other costs?
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Can UA lower other costs?
“Poka-Yoke”
The technical writing process will identify waste in the product
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Can it lower other costs?
Discover the root cause of a problem using “5 Whys”
Can User Assistance offer a proportionate intermediate fix?
esp. if the cause is at the customer’s side
Pete Abilla
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Is UA a waste or does it add value?
5.
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Is UA a waste or does it add value?
5. Are Technical Writers ‘processing waste’?
i.e. Creating unwanted information
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Are Technical Writers ‘processing waste’?
Do you have an inefficient process?
Do you have an efficient process, but you’re producing something that add little value to the user?
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Question recap
1. Will the client pay for it to be produced?
2. If they won’t pay, is it essential waste?
3. Can it significantly improve the user’s productivity?
4. Can it lower other costs?
5. Are Technical Writers ‘processing waste’?
Mark Eaton
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Other Lean activitieswhere Tech Pubs can help
Value Stream Mapping
Voice of The Customer
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4. Applying Lean to the writing process
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Lean conceptswe could use
One piece flow
Runners, Repeaters & Strangers
Andon cord
Sort-Set-Shine-Standardise-Sustain
Cycle/lead/takt time
Push and Pull/Just-in-time
Rapid Improvement Event
Focus Improvement TeamsWednesday, 15 August 2012
One piece flow
Instead of batch processing
even though it’s counterintuitive
You’ll spot errors much more quickly
Image: Geoff Rixon
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
One piece flow
Review topics as soon as possible?
Translate as soon as a topic is completed?
Publish as soon as a topic is completed?
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Runners, Repeaters and Strangers
Runners
Repeaters
StrangersImage © Mark Eaton
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Runners, Repeaters and Strangers
Priority is Runners
Leave Strangers for post-release or Support to deal with?
Image © Mark Eaton
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Andon cord
If there is a problem, anyone can stop the production line
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Andon cord
Swarm around the problem
No more coding until documentation is fixed?
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A Lean project planIs there a
compelling need to do the work?
Current state Implementation plan
How we measure success
Desired state Result from change
Risks, limitations, issues
Roles and responsibilities
Lessons learnt
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What Lean isn’t
Lean ≠ minimalism
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Summary
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What are thetake-aways?
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Key take-aways
Better way to position UA in an Agile environment
Helps you identify when “document late” is a bad idea
Better way to assess and apply DITA, adaptive content, intelligent content etc
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Just remember this
Rock image: Matthew Davalle
MudaNot adding value to the user
MuriOverburden
Too difficult / Too much
MuraUnevenness
Waiting
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Is it time for Lean?
Better deliverables
Makes problems visible
More efficient system
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For more information
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More information
Cherryleaf blog
Cherryleaf newsletter
Free mini ebook on Lean http://tiny.cc/xxj2iw
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For more information
ellis@cherryleaf.com
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Questions?
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
End
(c) Cherryleaf 2012
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
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