Yet, technical writers are placed at the low end of the value chain in most business models. Their roles and responsibilities are traditionally scoped by the designation or title they carry. They are considered as being just writers. This myopic nomenclature focuses on the basic skill or action, which is writing technical documents. The title technical writer suggests a tool- and task- driven activity and does not reflect the value addition that they bring in. This is a product or commodity level classification of their function. At the commodity level, a task can be measured by tangible attributes like speedy output, competitive price, quality work, and colorful presentation. These attributes translate into primary benefits like saved time, economical or cost effectiveness, and good impression or image.

Technical writers focus on the logical, aesthetic, and grammatical aspects of any document, apart from the core content. In their quest to achieve clarity and brevity, they conduct various studies such as audience analysis, usability studies, customer surveys, peer reviews. Thus, you see them now a notch higher as Technical Communicators. Many of these professionals at this point have also mastered graphic designing skills. As graphic designers they epitomize the value of visual and content to enhance the look and feel of a document and content. Graphic designers are visual communicators and they make communication intuitive, which is the ideal state of communication. As they hone their skills as technical communicators, you see them widen their scope for a much bigger responsibility. They evolve to assume the role of a ‘Communication Strategist’ or a ‘Communication Architect’. This is a high value, high leadership, and high challenge arena.

The paradigm now shifts from a product or commodity level thinking to organization, corporate, and brand level thinking (See figure).  

Brand Evolution of Technical Writers/Technical Publication Department

Information management becomes as important as communication management. As communication strategists, their role now involves integration and synchronization of values across products, brands, and culture, and the customer universe. Effective presentation of information is integral to the whole product experience. It is linked to the organization's promise of value to the customer and the customer's expectation. Somewhere along the line these professionals are making a difference to the way products, services, and organizations at large are being perceived. They are playing the role of profit makers. It's high time they are elevated to being an important link in the value chain. This will lead clients to pay more for the value they get rather than the fixed rate they usually want to pay, irrespective of the experience and knowledge of the technical writers.

Valerian Mendonça is a marketing professional with over 20 years of experience. His core areas of expertise are concept and media marketing. He now heads the technical publication division of Persistent Systems Pvt. Ltd. (www.persistentsys.com).

Acknowledgement: This article is influenced by a presentation titled “Are we in an Identity Crises’ by Ms. Andrea L. Ames at the STC India Chapter meet at Hyderabad recently. Andrea is an Associate Fellow and Past President, STC, Senior Information Developer, IBM Corporation, Certificate Co-ordinator and Instructor, UC Extension (Santa Cruz).

Reference: Harvard Business Review Article ‘What High-Tech Managers Need to Know About Brands’, Scott Ward, Larry Light, and Jonathan Goldstine: Jul 1, 1999.