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