An Email Process Goes Badly Awry

WritePoint, Ltd. provides technical writing, documentation and software implementation services to Israeli technology companies. WritePoint installed KnowledgeTree for one of its clients, Atom Ltd., a developer of content management software. "Before KnowledgeTree, our writers spent up to 30% of their time searching for and verifying the latest version of a document,” said Thomas Bakanidze, CEO at Atom. “Re-creating content took up to 50% of their time. Now, we no longer have these problems." Atom distributes its software in two editions, and each edition can be customized, resulting in the need to maintain a large amount of user documentation, such as user manuals, installation manuals and release notes.

A typical business workflow involved the development team (specifications), the technical writer (manuals) and the product manager (review) all participating in multiple iterations of a document. Unfortunately, the only collaboration tool in use was email, which created several challenges:

• If a developer updated the technical specifications but did not notify the technical writer, the writer would use the wrong specifications for the manual and have to redo work.
• It was difficult to track the status of the manual through multiple rounds of revisions among the people involved.
• The latest version of the manual was often lost among other emails, causing errors, confusion and delays in delivering the correct version to the clients.
• Other departments that relied on the technical documentation, such as marketing, often found that it was easier to create new content than locate existing content.

KnowledgeTree Workflow Provides a Solution

KnowledgeTree was implemented for its ability to track document versions and allow customized workflows. The permission features were also useful for ensuring that documents were placed in specific locations based on the user’s role in the organization. The new workflow made possible by KnowledgeTree eliminated the problems caused by relying on email to share iterations of the document.

• Developers now submit their technical specifications to the KnowledgeTree repository. The chance of misplacing a document in the file structure is eliminated by configuring permissions in such a way that there is only one location for the document to go.
• The technical writer receives an automatic notification by email that there is a new (or updated) specification available in the repository.
• When the writer finishes a manual, he submits it to the repository. This triggers an email notification to the developer and product manager that there is a manual available for review.
• Once the review is completed, the manual is checked back into the KnowledgeTree repository and the writer receives appropriate notification.
• The technical writer downloads and views the document, and integrates the comments and revisions. If needed, the document can go through another round of reviews, all managed by the KnowledgeTree workflow functionality.
• Once the manual is completed, the document is automatically moved to a location in the repository where the specified client has permission to access it.

What was once a confusing and error-prone process has been dramatically simplified. Because the document is progressing through the KnowledgeTree workflow and being checked in and out of the repository, there is no longer any doubt as to where the latest version resides. Documents are no longer clogging email boxes or getting lost or overlooked. Although email is used, it is only for notifications for the next step in the workflow. Role-based permissions ensure the document can be found in a certain location for each phase of the process.

Gains Went Beyond Expectations

Atom realized some significant productivity improvements following the implementation of KnowledgeTree. “Before we had KnowledgeTree, our technical writers could spend up to 30% of their time searching for the latest version of a document and verifying that it actually was the right version,” said Thomas Bakanidze, CEO at Atom. He added, “If they had to re-create content that already existed but they just couldn’t find, that could take up to 50% of their time. Now with KnowledgeTree, we no longer have these problems.”

Other significant benefits include:

• Gaining valuable visibility into business processes. Because the status of the document is apparent to everyone involved, there are no more roadblocks or excuses.
• Improving customer satisfaction levels by providing the correct documentation in a timely fashion.
• Giving other groups in the organization the ability to find the most current source of technical information on the product.

“This was a very satisfying implementation for us,” said Alex Masycheff, Information Architect at WritePoint. “By introducing KnowledgeTree to our client, we were able to see a dramatic, positive effect in a short period of time.” In the near future, Atom foresees more use for KnowledgeTree within the organization for areas such as marketing and finance.