From Lemons to Lemonade: Technical Writing Outsourcing as a Dream Come True

Barry SaiffFounder and CEO, Saiff Solutions, Inc.Tagaytay City, Philippines

• Technical communications leader• 32 years of technical documentation

experience• Led writing teams at 6 US companies • Founded Saiff Solutions, Inc. in 2011• Provides content development to

Fortune 500 companies in Japan & US

About the Speaker: Barry Saiff

QUESTION: What is Your Interest/Experience in Technical Writing Outsourcing?Have you experienced:•Working with writers in another country?• Layoffs due to outsourcing?•Being involved in a decision to outsource?•A well-crafted outsourcing plan? A poorly-

implemented plan?•Negative impacts of outsourcing? Positive impacts?•What else??

What is your overall impression ofTECHNICAL WRITING OUTSOURCING?

The 6 Stages of Technical Writing

Stage 1Infancy (1970’s)

Stage 2Youth

(1980’s)

Stage 3Adolescence

(1990’s)

Stage 4Young Adulthood

(2000’s)

Stage 5Adulthood (2010’s)

Stage 6Mid-Life (2015)

The GROWTH of OutsourcingFrom 1970 to 2010, outsourcing grew exponentially. Some examples:• By 2003, 77 global software development firms had R&D operations in India.

• By a recent (2013) estimate, there were 80,000 software developers in the Philippines.

• There are now technical writers in the Philippines with 10+ years experience in topic-based authoring.

DRIVERS of Outsourcing• Labor cost differentials• Growth of global labor market = availability• Communications cost reductions• Global market growth/economic

liberalization• Increased ease of doing business globally• Convergence of global business culture• Increasing productivity• Increasing customer-centric focus on quality

Discuss: TWO Issues, Fears, Pitfalls

What do you think are the major problems with technical writing outsourcing?

WHYOUTSOURCE?

PRODUCTIVITY is a powerful, historical force:

Productivity rises, and everything changes to facilitate rising productivity.

OUTSOURCING SuccessesWhat happens when TWO works well?

OUTSOURCING SuccessesWhat happens when TWO works well?

• Effective global collaboration• Learning• Process Improvement• Improved quality

• Reduced costs• Increased global

responsiveness• Productivity improvements

OUTSOURCING

PitfallsCan bad things happen as a result of

outsourcing technical writing?

OUTSOURCINGPitfalls

Can bad things happen as a result ofoutsourcing technical writing?

• Yes, sometimes.• Often when outsourcing

decisions do not involve technical communicators.

• Resisting outsourcing makes it less likely that you’ll be included in the decision.• What you resist persists.

Can good technical writers lose jobs to outsourcing?

OUTSOURCINGPitfalls

• Yes, sometimes. But not always.• Over 4 years, the # of Saiff Solutions

clients that laid off of in-house writers: 0• Yes, 0. We’ve never been in that

situation.• Yes, layoffs happen. But not in every case.

Discuss: TWO Key Success Factors

What things do you think need to happen to make technical writing outsourcing successful?

The Evolution of TWOFor a long time it seemed that:• Technical writing outsourcing may not

work.• Opposing TWO is the best way to keep

local TW jobs.

CLEAR

that…

Now it is

The Evolution of TWONow it clear that:• Technical writing outsourcing can work

very well.• With technical communicators in

management, we can author TWO strategies, instead of being victims.

• How TWO is done is a crucial question.

TWOIMPLEMENTATION

TWO IMPLEMENTATIONIf you have writers:- As work grows, you can expand capacity at

lower cost via outsourcing.- By reserving advanced tasks for the in-house

team, you can improve team morale and cost-effectiveness.

TWO IMPLEMENTATIONTo determine if TWO is right for YOU:- No one-size-fits-all formula- No simple rule to follow- Quality varies everywhere

TWO IMPLEMENTATION: What do process maturity and content strategy have to do with TWO:- If technical writers struggle to discover

design changes when co-located with engineers…

- Outsourcing may magnify problems.

PROCESS

TWO IMPLEMENTATION: When outsourcing goes wrong, it can be

due to any of the following issues:

RISKS

Location Function INCLUSION Language

TWO IMPLEMENTATION: RISKSEXPERIENCE

LEVEL Culture Competency Management

When outsourcing goes wrong, it can be due to any of the following issues:

• Focus where you can have an impact.• Prepare yourself for change.• Focus on the success of your enterprise.• Focus on improving quality.

TWO IMPLEMENTATION: LESSONS

• Start with process improvement and content strategy.

• Focus on morale and effectiveness. Don’t ignore the need to sell change effectively.

• Use inclusive planning.• Be aware of potential cultural pitfalls.

TWO IMPLEMENTATION: LESSONSFor management:

Assess process maturity and content strategy first, and improve if needed.- Include Tech Comm in planning.- Ensure a realistic financial analysis.- Identify & communicate vision & benefits.- Incorporate team feedback.- Focus on career development.

TWO: KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

Carefully choose country:- Consider language, infrastructure, labor pool.- #1 country in business English: Philippines

(http://www.globalenglish.com/business_english_index)

TWO: KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

Carefully choose provider.Start with a low-risk pilot project.

Understand and accommodate the differences:- Time zone- Language- Culture- Expertise- Background, context

TWO: KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

Include all tech writers in meetings, reviews, scrums, defect tracking, wiki/intranet, email list, etc.Document testing, review = key parts of the project schedule

TWO: KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

Outsourcing, poorly conceived, planned, and executed, can spread, expand, and increase the worst qualities of an organization.

Conclusion

ConclusionOutsourcing, done well, can promote the growth of a thriving organization and contribute to continual improvement.

What is your overall impression ofTECHNICAL WRITING OUTSOURCING?

By 2030, in a typical US company, what % of technical writing will take place outside of the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe?

a. 25% c. 75%b. 50% d. 95%

Final questions

In 2030, how will the number of technical communication jobs in the USA compare to 2015: a. At least twice as many jobs as in 2015? b. More, but not twice as many? c. The same? d. Less?

Email: barrysaiff@saiffsolutions.comSkype: SaiffSolutionsContact: +1 415 350 2959 +63 917 872 0929Web: www.saiffsolutions.com

Questions & comments!

Bonus Slide: Responses to Survey Questions at Lavacon 2015

How many of you have experienced:Work with off-shore writers: 7Lay-offs due to TWO: 3Involved in TWO decision: 6Well-crafted TWO plan: 2Poorly-crafted TWO plan: 2Any negative TWO impacts: 6Any positive TWO impacts: 2

Overall impression of TWO (at start): Positive: 0 Negative: 4Overall impression of TWO (at end): Positive: 4 Negative: 0 Neutral: 9By 2030, what % of technical writing will be offshore?25% -0, 50%-6, 75%-4, 95%-0By 2030, how will the # of TW jobs in USA compare to 2015?2x-0, 1x-2x-6, 1x-0, <1x-4