Each company and project has different priorities. Because of this, your documentation needs will probably not be the same as anyone else’s. By determining what is most important, or where there is flexibility, you (or we) can put together a realistic plan for the documentation. During planning, the following issues should be considered and prioritized:

• Schedule - Printed documentation or online help usually has to ship with the product. An alternative is web-based documentation that the customer can download; this is becoming more popular and practical as product development cycles get shorter.

• Quality requirements - It takes time and energy to create quality documentation. To be the best quality possible, documentation must be well written (clear, concise, well-organized, and consistent), professionally designed (your company’s image is at stake), and complete (what good is a great feature if the user doesn’t know it exists?). Quality documentation must also be accurate. Because most documentation is developed concurrently with the product, on a relatively short schedule, it can be a challenge to ensure that all these criteria are met in every project. Knowing the importance of quality, relative to schedule and budget, can help with decision making throughout the project.

• Budget - No matter what your budget, your expectations for your documentation project need to be realistic. Even if you have a large budget, you want to spend your money wisely. When you plan your documentation project, it is important to know what your budget is and when the money is available.

• Target market - The purchaser of your product or service will have certain needs and expectations. Knowing these up front will help you design a documentation solution that maximizes your investment and generates the most positive feedback from your customers.

Once you have determined your priorities, you are ready to choose which type of resource to use.