Sara Tilly, Lead Technical Writer at InfoBip, joins us in this episode of Knowledgebase Ninja to share her experience creating efficient documentation processes and its significance in a product’s journey. Check out all the other episodes of Knowledgebase Ninja here.
Connect with Sara Tilly and Infobip here:
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Sara stepped into technical writing to address the product and features specifications for a software house
- Sara has experience in the user documentation for server monitoring, point administration tools, technical content, and many more
- Before starting the technical documentation journey with Infobip, Sara worked as a freelance technical writer
- Sara believes that the development process is the most integral part, be it technical documents or the software.
- During the development process at Infobip, technical writers communicate and stay in touch with several other departments depending on the company’s requirements
- Communication and keeping all the relevant stakeholders engaged results in the production of high-quality documents
- Technical writers are the “first line testers”, working on the product development and quality assurance
- At Infobip, Sara works on pre-sales planning and client solutions while also communicating with the product marketing managers. This collaboration aids her in aligning with the road map and the document release management
- Sara defines workflow management as the most crucial element of documentation success. At Infobip workflow management is done through;
- Drawing an outline two to three weeks before the product release
- Generating a draft which is used as a guideline
- Introducing technical writers to the product for cross-checking purposes
- Reporting any errors to product developers
- Handing the documentation over to product managers
- Proofreading the approved document
- Posting the document online
- Analysing feedback from the product manager or development team
- Technical writers must know their audience. Only then can their document can be valuable for the end-user
- Thorough research and data assembly roles should be considered as mandatory prerequisites for quality documentation
- Synchronisation between the internal teams plays a key role in creating the proper road map and effective document release management
Sara’s advice to her 20-year-old self
Sara wants her 20-year-old self to be more relaxed about not knowing everything. She wants to tell her younger self that there will be things she cannot know, and it’s okay because she is not meant to be a developer. Her key is to see the product and the people who work on it. She wants her younger self to always be willing to learn.
Sara’s favourite technical documentation resource
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