... in the world of Technical Communication

In general, I’m always thinking about how to “prove” the documentation I craft adds value for the organization. Does it impact the bottom line? Does it reduce support costs? Does it promote employee efficiency? Plus, many clients feel conflicted about documentation, it is needed within their organization, but it’s hard to justify the costs especially in today’s economic climate.

This morning I was reading “Measure Smart: Trade ROI for IOB” published in this month’s edition of CLO magazine. At first, I was simply curious, “What is IOB?” Turns out, IOB, or Impact on Business, is an extension of ROI. Whereas most traditional ROI measurements focus on pure numbers, IOB looks at direct linkages between (in this case) training programs and business programs. Instead of looking at the total number of people trained, IOB focuses on changes in performance metrics after an employee completes a training program.

For example, say a customer service employee takes an interpersonal communication course. After the course, the number of complaints they receive are reduced (and they actually get a few compliments). Using IOB, the training department could say that the communication course improved that employee’s performance. They now have a more direct link between training and performance.

As I was reading, I thought the same concepts could be applied to technical writing. Like training, tech docs seek to convey knowledge to readers with the goal of teaching them something. And technical communicators are interested in those same metrics as training professionals – providing direct linkages between the documentation and business initiatives. “Hmmm, interesting,” I thought as I filed this tidbit of information away (for the next time a client asks about how we can do this).

The article also got me thinking about the future of technical communicators. As our field continues to evolve, we’re seeing a shift from printed documents to dynamic content. I have a feeling that in the coming years, technical communication professionals and training & development professionals will find more and more common ground as they face these similar challenges.