Applying the Document Strategy
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Once you decide to implement a document strategy, it is
easy to become paralyzed by the complexity of the decision.
The evolving role of documents, the complications of
technology, and the politics of corporate culture and change
all conspire to make your task seem overwhelming. The
vista of your document strategy can seem boundless.
Navigating with a balance of strategic vision and tactical
common sense is not easy without a clear map to provide
direction. This can result in Blank Page Syndrome - a
crippling affliction for a strategy architect - where the blank
page looms gravely, ideas retreat to the farthest corner of
inspiration and the expectations of management become
seemingly unobtainable.
Faced with the enormity of designing a document strategy, it
is tempting to look to hardware, software or the Internet for a
shrink-wrapped solution. This approach is bound to fall
short, however. Technology is only part of the equation and
its purchase and deployment must be guided with an
understanding of the role documents play in your
organization and the needs of the people who use them.
Even if you recognize the importance of a document
strategy, the question remains: How do I go about
developing one? The answer to this question is not
universal because different organizations will require
different document strategies. What is needed most is a
process to guide the development of your strategy so that it
is meaningful, practical and ensures worthwhile and lasting
results.
easy to become paralyzed by the complexity of the decision.
The evolving role of documents, the complications of
technology, and the politics of corporate culture and change
all conspire to make your task seem overwhelming. The
vista of your document strategy can seem boundless.
Navigating with a balance of strategic vision and tactical
common sense is not easy without a clear map to provide
direction. This can result in Blank Page Syndrome - a
crippling affliction for a strategy architect - where the blank
page looms gravely, ideas retreat to the farthest corner of
inspiration and the expectations of management become
seemingly unobtainable.
Faced with the enormity of designing a document strategy, it
is tempting to look to hardware, software or the Internet for a
shrink-wrapped solution. This approach is bound to fall
short, however. Technology is only part of the equation and
its purchase and deployment must be guided with an
understanding of the role documents play in your
organization and the needs of the people who use them.
Even if you recognize the importance of a document
strategy, the question remains: How do I go about
developing one? The answer to this question is not
universal because different organizations will require
different document strategies. What is needed most is a
process to guide the development of your strategy so that it
is meaningful, practical and ensures worthwhile and lasting
results.
| Craine Communications Group 503.452.9166 |
Characteristics of the Process
Comprehensive, yet manageable. The process of designing a document
strategy must be comprehensive enough to ensure that something
important is not overlooked. It must also be manageable enough to avoid
the risk of a project so large and slow that nothing ever gets done. At one
end of the spectrum, a "just do it" approach runs the risk that inadequate
planning will lead to wasted effort. At the other end of the range, an overly
broad approach can invite "scope creep" and result in a project where
objectives become moving targets and decisions come slowly (if at all).
Strike a balance between the two by focusing efforts on those areas that
are the most important and the most likely to bring about worthwhile
improvement. Consider the "80/20" rule: it is likely that 80 percent of
improvements can be found by concentrating on 20 percent of the overall
scope.
Linked to company goals. Ultimately, the real test of your document
strategy will be its effect on the performance of your company. Does your
strategy decrease operating costs and increase opportunities for
revenue? Does it increase customer satisfaction? Does it serve executive
vision? For your document strategy to appear on the corporate "radar
screen" and gain support it must bring about benefit and improvement in
those areas that are of fundamental importance to your firm.
Clearly demonstrated measurements. Measuring and demonstrating
improvement is critical for the ongoing success of your document
strategy. The adage you can improve only that which you can measure
holds true. Measurements help answer three essential questions: Where
are you now? Where do you want to go? How will you know you have
arrived? Once your plan has been put into place, measurements help
demonstrate, in a quantifiable way, the results of your improvement efforts.
Addresses corporate culture. One very influential factor that is often
avoided or overlooked is the influence of corporate culture on the design
and outcome of a document strategy. Internal politics, lack of support and
resistance to change are all difficult and elusive factors that can quickly
kill your document strategy. The questions are: How do you sell your
document strategy? How will people react to the changes you propose?
Will the culture of your organization help your efforts or hinder your
progress? The design of your strategy must account for the cultural tides
of your organization and look for ways to swim with the current rather than
against the flow.
Facilitates implementation and evaluates results. The most
well-conceived strategies are of little value if they are not executed
effectively. To develop a vision is not enough. For your document strategy
to be of practical value it must facilitate specific actions to achieve specific
goals. Once those actions are put into place, evaluation and
re-measurement are vital because the success of your strategy is known
only if it can be demonstrated. With these basic characteristics in mind,
consider the Document Strategy Model as one approach to the design of
a document strategy.
This model is a useful guide and has five elements as a framework.
| The Document Strategy Model |
The DS Model is not intended to be linear. The overlapping circles of the
model demonstrate that the steps will often overlap. You might find that
you don't need to follow every step in detail or there are times when you
must retrace your steps back to square one. The framework can and
should be adapted to suit your particular situation, organization or
requirement. The DS Model helps to provide focus, avoid pitfalls and save
valuable time and energy.
Baseline Assessment
The process starts with a Baseline Assessment that asks: Where are
you, and where do you need to go? The assessment helps you "get
located" by establishing a baseline about the purpose and direction of
your organization, the needs, pressures and constraints it must satisfy
and manage, and the hard numbers that measure its success. You will
ask questions like:
Although these questions may seem simple, the answers are not always
obvious. If you have any doubt, try the following experiment with the next
five co-workers you meet. Ask each person to give a one-sentence
answer to each of the questions above. Once you have gathered all their
answers you will likely find significant disagreement in the responses.
A Baseline Assessment also explores the most pressing problems that
challenge your company and the most advantageous opportunities for
improvement.
Documents, Technology and People
One way to keep your document strategy manageable is to view it through
three basic frames of reference: documents, technology and people. At
the most fundamental level, this is what a document strategy is all about.
Documents are the subject of your strategy, technology is how you
produce them, and people are why they exist.
You will chart a meaningful course for your strategy by compiling a list of
target documents, assessing how those documents are produced, and
understanding the needs of the people who use and care about them.
Problems and Solutions
In order to be successful, your document strategy must provide solutions
to the problems in your current processes. It is impossible to determine
appropriate solutions until you understand and define the problems that
exist. You will do this by comparing how things are with the way they
should be. You will examine how your current processes perform and
determine whether or not they perform in ways that meet the needs of
your organization. Once you have defined the problems that exist and
determined their root cause(s), you will identify and select the best
solutions to solve those problems and improve your processes.
Selling your Strategy and Managing Change
Next, the DS Model explores the critical need to sell your strategy and
manage change. Your efforts are not likely to be successful if you do not
enlist the support of decision-makers and co-workers. Selling your
strategy requires a solid business case as well as the ability to "speak
the language" of the people you aim to convince. You will do this by
constructing a financial analysis and a formal proposal for your ideas and
solutions. You will also examine ways to enlist the support of co-workers
and decision-makers.
Change and corporate culture significantly influence your document
strategy. To better manage change you will explore the roles people play
in a successful change initiative. You will also consider the natural and
emotional reactions that people have during times of change. In addition,
you will examine the cultural characteristics of your organization and how
they will influence your efforts.
Project Planning and Implementation
Project planning and implementation is where all of your assessment,
analysis and planning must come together. You must develop a project
plan that will be clearly understood by everyone involved and guide your
efforts to a successful implementation. You must challenge your
assumptions, test your solutions and demonstrate your success. Some
of the questions you will answer are:
The need to implement a document strategy is a topic that is often talked
about. The fact remains, however, that designing a document strategy is a
complicated and indistinct undertaking. The notion of creating a
document strategy is made more mysterious because until now there
has been no clear road map to guide the design of an effective plan. The
inevitable lament is: "I know a document strategy is important, but how do
I actually develop one?" Designing a Document Strategy is a book that
provides a method and process to follow.
model demonstrate that the steps will often overlap. You might find that
you don't need to follow every step in detail or there are times when you
must retrace your steps back to square one. The framework can and
should be adapted to suit your particular situation, organization or
requirement. The DS Model helps to provide focus, avoid pitfalls and save
valuable time and energy.
Baseline Assessment
The process starts with a Baseline Assessment that asks: Where are
you, and where do you need to go? The assessment helps you "get
located" by establishing a baseline about the purpose and direction of
your organization, the needs, pressures and constraints it must satisfy
and manage, and the hard numbers that measure its success. You will
ask questions like:
- What needs must be satisfied?
- What pressures and constraints must be managed?
- What are the most important measures of your performance?
- What are your most important objectives?
- What are the initiatives underway to achieve those goals?
- What is your core business - your reason for being?
- How does your organization envision success?
Although these questions may seem simple, the answers are not always
obvious. If you have any doubt, try the following experiment with the next
five co-workers you meet. Ask each person to give a one-sentence
answer to each of the questions above. Once you have gathered all their
answers you will likely find significant disagreement in the responses.
A Baseline Assessment also explores the most pressing problems that
challenge your company and the most advantageous opportunities for
improvement.
Documents, Technology and People
One way to keep your document strategy manageable is to view it through
three basic frames of reference: documents, technology and people. At
the most fundamental level, this is what a document strategy is all about.
Documents are the subject of your strategy, technology is how you
produce them, and people are why they exist.
- Which documents are most vital to the success of your
organization? - What technology is used to create them?
- Who are the people who use and care about these documents?
You will chart a meaningful course for your strategy by compiling a list of
target documents, assessing how those documents are produced, and
understanding the needs of the people who use and care about them.
Problems and Solutions
In order to be successful, your document strategy must provide solutions
to the problems in your current processes. It is impossible to determine
appropriate solutions until you understand and define the problems that
exist. You will do this by comparing how things are with the way they
should be. You will examine how your current processes perform and
determine whether or not they perform in ways that meet the needs of
your organization. Once you have defined the problems that exist and
determined their root cause(s), you will identify and select the best
solutions to solve those problems and improve your processes.
- How does your document process really perform?
- How should the process perform in order to meet your needs and
requirements? - What problems prevent your document process from performing
adequately, and why do they exist? - How will you solve the problems you discover and make
improvements to your process? - What is the best solution among the many that may be available?
Selling your Strategy and Managing Change
Next, the DS Model explores the critical need to sell your strategy and
manage change. Your efforts are not likely to be successful if you do not
enlist the support of decision-makers and co-workers. Selling your
strategy requires a solid business case as well as the ability to "speak
the language" of the people you aim to convince. You will do this by
constructing a financial analysis and a formal proposal for your ideas and
solutions. You will also examine ways to enlist the support of co-workers
and decision-makers.
Change and corporate culture significantly influence your document
strategy. To better manage change you will explore the roles people play
in a successful change initiative. You will also consider the natural and
emotional reactions that people have during times of change. In addition,
you will examine the cultural characteristics of your organization and how
they will influence your efforts.
- How can you "sell" your document strategy to those who must
approve and sponsor it? - How will you get the support of your co-workers?
- How will people react to change?
- What is the prevailing culture of your organization?
- How will certain cultural characteristics influence the success of
your strategy?
Project Planning and Implementation
Project planning and implementation is where all of your assessment,
analysis and planning must come together. You must develop a project
plan that will be clearly understood by everyone involved and guide your
efforts to a successful implementation. You must challenge your
assumptions, test your solutions and demonstrate your success. Some
of the questions you will answer are:
- How will you implement your strategy? Who must do
what…how…and when? - What are the objectives you seek? What must you "deliver" in order
to be successful? - What are the risks associated with your plans, and how will you
mitigate those risks? - How will you assess and demonstrate your success?
The need to implement a document strategy is a topic that is often talked
about. The fact remains, however, that designing a document strategy is a
complicated and indistinct undertaking. The notion of creating a
document strategy is made more mysterious because until now there
has been no clear road map to guide the design of an effective plan. The
inevitable lament is: "I know a document strategy is important, but how do
I actually develop one?" Designing a Document Strategy is a book that
provides a method and process to follow.