Tim Mantyla wrote:
I'm like a toddler opening up Dad's toolbox here...
We all were at some point, and in many areas we're still there.
I'm a rank beginner with blogs and wikis myself. So we'll press on
together.
****************
Tim wrote:
[Audience =] Wide range...very to not at all [technologically savvy].
That's very tough. You might need more than one presentation --
one for beginners, another for advanced users.
****************
Tim wrote:
Purpose: provide sale staff a reference for the core competencies needed
to do their jobs well.
So what are those? Be specific, don't use gobbledegook like
"core competencies". Exactly what is "doing their jobs well" -- selling
one puppy a week? Unloading a litter every day?
*******************
Tim wrote:
They are going to need a great training program, not only a manual to
refer to.
And who is responsible for developing that training program?
Are they qualified to do so?
*******************
Tim wrote:
[Output format is] Mostly interactive/online. People will print as
needed, work thru online, we hope. Could become interactive w/ videos,
screen captures, etc. later on...far in the not-so-certain future.
You're talking here about e-learning writing and development, a
specialized field. We might have other experts in this forum but I am
not one of them.
**********************
Tim wrote:
Testing crew...? You must be assuming this company has devoted some
resources to this. I'm IT! Creator, developer, tester, writer, and maybe
some help from people who wrote a few software user instructions for
Epicor's Vantage, which has confused staff and slowed their productivity
(and which I would recommend only to my enemies for its confusatory,
cumbersome CRM, interface, many other problems!).
So your company is planning to abuse its sales staff and
customers by having them discover and report the bugs? Not nice, and
not a good idea.
***********************
Tim wrote:
Currently there is no training plan, let alone a solid outline for the
manual. This floatiness is very confusing and frustrating. I'm a jazz
player with nary a defined bass line to improvise on at this point! (I
am
a musician, too...hope you all get the metaphor...you need structure
within which to roam is the idea. I'm building the bass line myself, and
it keeps moving around because I can't get all the answers I need,
because
there is no defined training plan or training organizer/manager with any
time or mandate to do it.)
So nail your boss's foot to the floor or bribe him/her with
donuts. Whatever works to slap that outline together. I "sit in" with
a fiddle at folk singarounds myself, so yes I understand your metaphor.
A one-hour meeting with several key stakeholders to brainstorm (10
minutes), select and prioritize the 'storm results (10 minutes), create
an action/deliverables plan and preliminary timeline from those
prioritized results (40 minutes).
*********************
Tim wrote:
Plus I don't know Wiki from Madcap from my kneecap...except the
Wikipedia,
which I love. Exaggerating here...I'm a writer w/ some technical
ability,
not a software guy...yet.
Google "create a Wiki" and pick your poison. I sort of like
PBWiki but haven't gone very far with it yet (still busy with the
one-person move of an entire farm) -- still at least another week or two
before I'm done with that "little project".
***********************
Tim wrote:
It will need constant updating, probably by designated sales or IT
staff.
Me if I'm lucky enough to be hired (I'm a temp, no plans for hire yet).
Most of the sales staff are hardcore, just want to sell and NOTHING
else!
One third won't even give me input on what they'd like to see in the
manual/reference. For many reasons.
In my crystal ball I see you as Webmaster for the Sales Support
Intranet Site.....
*******************************
Tim wrote:
What software could do this? HAT like Flare or Robohelp? MS Word?
Frontpage or other HTML authoring tool?
Would an open-source CMS do this? Is that what AuthorIT is, a CMS?
Why on the internet? Maybe you're assuming we have more than one
location...we have two close-by buildings. It's been suggested to use a
company intranet.
LOL, anybody who knows me knows that I assume _nothing_!!!! I'd
put it on the Internet because that's what the Internet is, a great big
lovely spare filing cabinet. But I would make the site
password-protected so that only approved people can look at it.
*******************
Tim wrote:
I'm confused about how this works, though the IT people here can clue
me.
What platform does it sit on? Like a web site sits on a server. Does the
Wiki do that?
Reading between the lines...a Wiki because then staff could update the
procedures themselves? Input with little management time/direction? Not
sure that would work in this company...
You need some very basic "Intro to the Internet" information.
Google it or maybe somebody here can provide that for you. No, staff
would not be able to update the procedures themselves. They can attach
comments to your posting of a procedure, and then the Wiki manager can
issue an update -- if you set it up to work like that. You'll have lots
of options.
********************
Tim wrote:
On board w/ that [providing timely expert answers to questions]!
Whatever the format, I'd shoot for that.
And on having fun...it could happen!
Dori Green
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