At a prior ISV employer in the mid 90's I recall an executive saying that the companies #2 expense (behind employee salary) was the cost to print manuals.
Wayne Driscoll Rocket Software Note - All opinions are strictly my own. -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Bob Bridges Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 6:10 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Memory-Lane Monday: Documentation just takes up too much space | Computerworld EXTERNAL EMAIL I used to think so. But some years ago - decades ago, now, come to think of it - we were teaching users how to write their own DYL-280II programs, and ordering manuals for them as the need arose. My boss got tired of writing up purchase orders for manuals one and two at a time (at $150 for a two-volume set, as I recall), and had me talk to Dylakor about buying a larger number at a discount. Say 100 of them, and we'd parcel them out to the users as part of the classes. Dylakor was perfectly willing to sell me 100 copies at half price, $7500 for 100 sets. No, no, I said, I want a ~real~ discount. I had the idea, you see, that they were making a lot of extra money on the printing. They came back to me a day or two later and made a counter offer: They'd issue us a license to print the manuals on-site, and they'd just sell us the loose-leaf tabs and binders. Now you're talking!, I said, and went off to our print shop to figure out what it would take. Turns out their half-price offer was about what I'd have to spend to do the printing ourselves. The lesson I came away with: Printing is expensive. --- Bob Bridges, [email protected], cell 336 382-7313 /* "Bother", said the Borg, "we've assimilated a Pooh". */ -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of R.S. Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 11:01 I don't know US prices, but IMHO scanning manuals, especially not books, rather binders should be easy and cheap. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ================================ Rocket Software, Inc. and subsidiaries ■ 77 Fourth Avenue, Waltham MA 02451 ■ Main Office Toll Free Number: +1 855.577.4323 Contact Customer Support: https://my.rocketsoftware.com/RocketCommunity/RCEmailSupport Unsubscribe from Marketing Messages/Manage Your Subscription Preferences - http://www.rocketsoftware.com/manage-your-email-preferences Privacy Policy - http://www.rocketsoftware.com/company/legal/privacy-policy ================================ This communication and any attachments may contain confidential information of Rocket Software, Inc. All unauthorized use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify Rocket Software immediately and destroy all copies of this communication. Thank you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
