Here are some upcoming Cherryleaf events during September and October 2012. Our Q4 Trends in Technical Documentation talk The Lean User Manual: Using Lean principles in Technical Publications 20th September 2012, 09.30-12.30 Free Dr Tony Self’s DITA training courses in London Publishing with the DITA Open Toolkit 8 October 2012 DITA authoring best practices 9… Read more »
Tag: Lean
Towards Agile authoring
Agile programming has grown in popularity, and it has lead to new challenges for those involved in providing User Assistance for those applications. So is it time for Technical Authors to develop an equivalent method for developing content for these projects? Is it time to develop an “Agile authoring” methodology? Such a method needs to… Read more »
5 Whys – what does this mean for Technical Authors?
The “5 Whys” is a question-and-answer technique used to discover the root cause of a defect or problem. It is an approach used in the Lean manufacturing methodology, as well as the Six Sigma business management strategy. Here’s an example of the 5 Whys technique: Problem: The vehicle will not start. Why? – The battery is dead…. Read more »
Free ebook on applying Lean principles in User Assistance
The Content Development team at Cherryleaf has created a a free eBook that provides help and advice on applying Lean principles to User Assistance. This short ebook explains how the principles of Lean manufacturing can be applied to developing software User Assistance and other forms of technical documentation. Lean is the parent/cousin of Agile Development,… Read more »
The Lean user guide
It was suggested I read The Lean Startup, by Eric Riess. This book outlines how principles of Lean manufacturing can be applied to startup businesses, and software businesses in particular. For startups, it’s about how to figure out the right thing to build – that people will pay for – as quickly as possible. I’m still reading it, and so far, it is very good.
It begs the question:
Where does user documentation fit in a Lean startup, and can the principles of Lean be applied to User Assistance?