CIDM Information Management News Volume 5, Issue 5

Information Management News
Volume 5, Issue 5
May 2005

A monthly e-newsletter from The Center for Information-Development Management (CIDM)
JoAnn T. Hackos, PhD, CIDM Director
http://www.infomanagementcenter.com

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Upcoming Workshops

The CIDM sponsors the following workshops:

User and Task Analysis for Information Design
Bill Hackos, PhD,
May 23–24
Jacksonville, FL

Minimalism: Creating Manuals That People Can Use
JoAnn Hackos, PhD,
June 6–7
Sheboygan, WI

XML for Writers
Jen Linton
June 15–16
San Jose, CA

Structured Writing for Single Sourcing
JoAnn Hackos, PhD,
July 7–8
Gatineau, Quebec

XML for Writers
Jen Linton
July 26–27
Duluth, GA

Managing Your Documentation Projects
Bill Hackos, PhD,
September 20–21
Cary, NC

For more information on these and other workshops, visit the JoAnn Hackos Workshop Series web site

News & Events

Best Practices newsletter subscriptions available

Find out how to subscribe to the bi-monthly Best Practices newsletter.

Best Practices conference—September 26–28, 2005

Save the dates for this year’s Best Practices Conference in Lake Geneva, WI, and watch for more information!

Using Topic-Based Planning to Reduce Development Time
JoAnn Hackos, PhD
CIDM Director

www.infomanagementcenter.com

“We really don’t plan. It takes too much time, and the product keeps changing.” Despite arguments to the contrary, we learn from CIDM managers who develop detailed information and content plans that the efforts pays for itself. Content planning, when done in the context of user requirements, decreases information-development time and alters the distribution of activities during the information-development life cycle.

Read the article

More articles
Reward and Recognition at Cognos Documentation Services—Gail Angel
Establishing Metrics to Define and Measure Costs—Sylvia McCombs
Master of Language Administration program—Sabine Kirchmeier-Andersen

CIDM Reception at the STC Conference

The Center for Information Development Management will be hosting a reception on Monday, May 9, at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers, hospitality room 418–420. Join JoAnn and other members of the CIDM team from 5:30–7:30 pm for hor d’oeuvres and drinks. For further information, please contact the CIDM office at or call (303) 232-7586.

Save the Date!
Best Practices conference
September 26, 27, and 28, 2005
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
www.grandgeneva.com

Reward and Recognition at Cognos Documentation Services
Gail Angel
Cognos, Inc.

In a company culture that is performance-driven, where people can work many extra hours in dedication to the project, how do you thank your staff for good efforts, build and support an environment of teamwork, and contribute to morale?

Read the article

Establishing Metrics to Define and Measure Costs
Sylvia McCombs
Engenio Information Technologies, Inc.

The purpose of this Innovator's Forum project is to develop and implement a plan to establish metrics that will define and measure current practices and their costs. Establishing these baseline metrics for analysis should help us identify areas for improvement in our processes and methods. As improvements are made, we anticipate increased productivity and quality, which should reduce our costs. We will compare the cost of the new processes and methods with the baseline metrics to identify the reduction of cost.

Read the article

Master of Language Administration program
Sabine Kirchmeier-Andersen
Program Director

Copenhagen Business School announces its new web-based Master’s in Language Administration (MLA) degree, offered for the first time completely in English. The program will be available online in 2006, providing an excellent opportunity for serious technical communicators to earn an online degree from a highly prestigious business school. Although the program emphasizes administering multi-language information development, it is also an excellent program for any technical communicator who is looking for a program that has a strong business perspective.

Read the article

Feedback
Have you found this issue useful? Got a great story idea? We’d like your input and suggestions. Please contact lisa.finger@comtech-serv.com about any comments you may have.

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The Center for Information-Development Management
The Center for Information-Development Management (CIDM) is an organization of information-development, training, and support managers across the United States and internationally. The CIDM is directed by Dr. JoAnn Hackos, international leader in the management of the design, development, and dissemination of information to customers and employees. Under her leadership, the CIDM conducts benchmark studies among member organizations and elsewhere, sponsors research into information development and its management, and gathers and disseminates results and resources through newsletters, the Web, seminars, two annual conferences, and research white papers. The CIDM facilitates the sharing of information among the most skilled managers in the information industry.

If you are interested in reading more in-depth articles, you should consider subscribing to the Best Practices newsletter at www.infomanagementcenter.com/masterindex.shtml.