0

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

Aardvark
Case Portfolio
Melissa Lamaffar
7/25/2015

Table of Contents
Aardvark Technical Communications Department Project Plan

Introduction3
Goals

Objectives 3
Timeline

Conclusion 5
TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION DEPT. FORMATION MEMO
Pay Table

Additional Compensation 7
Professional Development 7
Information-Development Project Plan

Midas Project Plan 9

Revision history 9
Contact information
Approved by

Project Overview 10
Project schedule 10
Description of the Audience for the Deliverables and the information

11

Usability requirements 11
Information Development 12
Information-development project scope

12

Roles and responsibilities ofTECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS TEAM: MIDAS Project 12

Project dependencies and risks 13
Project assumptions

13

Risk analysis

13

Dependencies calculation

13

Project total hours and costs

13

Other Project resource requirements

Budget Overview

13

15

Technical Communication Estimation - Brochure

16

Technical Communication Estimation Help Guide 17

Technical Communication Estimation- Manual

18

Aardvark Technical Communications Department

Project Plan
Introduction
While Aardvark products have been consistently better designed than the
competition, inconsistent and poorly written documentation has caused
considerable customer dissatisfaction. This dissatisfaction has led to a significant
decrease in profits due to a high rate of return on products and numerous calls to
customer service. In order to increase customer satisfaction and establish a more
professional image within the industry, a technical communication department has
been created.
Due to the poor and inconsistent nature of the design of the technical documents
created to accompany Aardvark products, the company has experienced a
significant loss in overall profits. If current processes are not changed to better
consider the needs of the consumer, a loss of consumer confidence will undeniably
cause an irrevocable downward trajectory in terms of gross profits. In order to
increase customer satisfaction and establish a more professional image within the
industry, a technical communication department has been created. This
department will be able to produce high-quality documents measured by
quantifiable assessments, reduce the burden of other departments previously
involved in the writing process and significantly increase gross profits through a
lower rate or returns, reduced call volume and increased consumer satisfaction.

Goals
Long term goals reflect the implementation of the outlined objectives and provide a
metric against which the success of the objectives can be measured. While some
goals are temporal, others will be identified and restated on an annual basis.

Customer satisfaction with Aardvark products and associated documentation

should be in the 90th percentile.
Technical documents produced should be the industry gold standard.
Continuous development of innovative approaches to design and processes,
with an emphasis on employee professional growth.
Source metadata from customers to provide more opportunities to discover
how to manage and transmit information to customers.

Objectives
While the company has made attempts over the year to provide technical
documentation to its customers, most of this work has been completed by those
lacking experience in the field of technical communication. In order to create a more
uniform style of documentation and increase customer satisfaction with the
products produced by Aardvark, the following objectives must be meet within the
next calendar year.

Establish a defined document and editorial style and editorial processes By

creating a consistent style, both writer and reader will have a clear idea of
what to expect within the document. Consistency also creates a more
professional image for the company. Editorial process create a system of
checks and balances to ensure the quality of the documentation produced.
Establish document templates Document templates make it easier for the
writer to create and format documents and help the reader to know what to
expect within the document, and create a consistent overall style.
Create online manuals Online manuals may reduce printing costs and allow
the buyer to print a new manuals at no cost to the Aardvark. The potential
exists to look into reducing and potentially eliminating printing altogether,
however this should only be done after careful market research on the
matter.
Create online video tutorials for service and installation Online video
tutorials can assist the customer in installation, reduce customer
dissatisfaction and service calls. By providing more avenues of information,
customer satisfaction should increase and new data may be acquired by the
determination of the use of newly created tutorials.
Eliminate the need for staff installations of POS products Well written
documentation should eliminate the need for installation by Aardvark
engineers. Until the need is eliminated, technical writers should accompany
engineers to gather data on customer requirements, needs and technical
savviness.
Conduct usability testing on technical communication documents
Conducting usability testing ensures the user-friendliness of the design. By
creating user-friendly documents, Aardvark can increase customer
satisfaction and move towards producing documents which will become the
gold standard for the industry.
Conduct a customer satisfaction survey- This survey will provide feedback on
documentation creating and may be used as a measuring stick in order to
continue to provide excellent products to the customers of Aardvark. A
survey will also provide data to the company, allowing Aardvark to consider
new and better ways to transmit information to our customers.

Timeline
This section provides a timeline for implementation of recommended objectives and
the stakeholders involved in the aforementioned objectives. Each task includes a
time-frame for implementation. The following recommendations will improve
customer satisfaction, which in turn will allow for greater financial success.
Task
Establish defined editorial style and
processes
Develop document templates

Expecte
d Time
0-2
months
3-4
months

Stakeholders
Technical Communication
Technical Communication

Create online manuals

Create online video tutorials
Rewrite documentation for Midas
Complete usability testing for Midas
documentation
Eliminate staff installation of products
Conduct customer satisfaction survey

8 months
8 months
8
months
9 months

Technical Communication, IT
Technical Communication , IT
Technical Communication

10
months
1 year

Technical Communication,
Engineering
Technical Communication

Technical Communication

Conclusion
The Information Process Maturity level identifies their level of maturity, dependent
on factors such as commitment to processes, organization, collaboration and
innovation. Companies with high levels of maturity will be collaborative and seek
continuous improvement through quantifiable metrics. Organizations with low
levels of maturity will have undefined standards and a lack of quality control The
current maturity-level of the organization is a 0, as the company lacks defined
editorial style, templates, and often produced inconsistent and poorly written
technical documentation. By creating a department that specializes in the creation
of technical documents the company can experience significant cost savings and
allow other departments to focus on their primary goals and meet associated
milestones rather than focusing on technical documentation. Further, the technical
communication department can conduct testing such as usability studies on the
associated documentation which will generate feedback and provide metrics
against which success can be measured. Currently, the company hotline receives
20,000 calls per year at an average cost of $28 per year at a total cost of
approximately $560,000 per year. By creating more user friendly documentation
and tutorials, the company could potential significantly reduce customer calls,
which would reduce associated costs in maintain the customer service department.
For example, a 75% reduction in calls would save the company approximately
$420,000 per year. However, it is not only the direct short term costs which need to
be considered, but indirect costs such as high levels of customer dissatisfaction,
that have a devastating effect on the companys bottom line as consumers lose
confidence with Aardvark products. By implementing the outlined objectives, the
company can expect to mature and become a leader within the industry.

MEMORANDUM
To:

Maureen OShea

From: Melissa Lamaffar

Date: 07/10/2015
Re:

Technical Communication Department Formation

Prior to hiring individuals for the newly created Technical Communication

Department, it is necessary to consider the expected skill sets, projected salaries
and any additional benefits offered in order to determine budgetary requirements
and the expected needs of the organization. This memo provides an overview of
the expected skill sets, projected salaries as well as a compensation scheme for
those who exceed organizational expectations, and may be used during the hiring
and budgeting process.
In reviewing the current and projected future needs of the Technical
Communications Department, I determined that two (2) of the individuals should be
hired as technical writers and one individual (1) should be hired to serve in an
editorial capacity. The technical writers will be responsible for creating print and
online documentation, and maintaining the website and other social media. The
senior technical writer should have extensive experience in online and web
documentation and be familiar with programs such as XML, HTML and the like. The
other technical writer hired will focus more on the writing aspect of technical
communication in order to provide clear and concise documentation to Aardvark
customers. The editor will be responsible for ensuring that all copy is clear, clean
and conforms to established styles and will project a polished and professional
image of Aardvark products to consumers. An editor on staff a system will allow for
a system of checks and balances to ensure to ensure the overall quality of the
documentation produced is consistent with long range goals.
The table below outlines the proposed positions, provides a brief job description and
projected pay rate for the following positions. The projected pay rate was
determined by reviewing documentation related to current pay rates for similar jobs
in the area, as well as cost of living indexes, and individual job descriptions. Data
was gathered from Salary.com, payscale.com, US Occupational Handbook, and the
Greenville Chamber of Commerce. Due to immediate needs it is advisable to hire
experienced individuals at this juncture, however entry-level candidates may be
hired at a later date.

Pay Table
Position

Skills

Technical
Writer III

Bachelor's degree, 8+ years experience in

technical writing, experience using the following
applications MS Word, Adobe FrameMaker and
Adobe Acrobat Professional, HTML, XML, CSS, and
JavaScript. Experience with the Agile project
management is desirable.
Bachelor's degree, 3+ years experience in
technical writing, experience using the following
applications MS Word, Adobe FrameMaker and
Adobe Acrobat Professional.
Bachelor's (concentration in English, journalism or
liberal arts preferred), 3+ years experience,
experience with Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Office
Suite. Experience with soft proofing system
desirable.

Technical
Writer II
Editor

Projected
Pay Range
65,000
-75,000/annu
m

50,000
-58,000/annu
m
48,000
-55,000/annu
m

Additional Compensation
Employees will be reviewed on an annual basis and weights will be assigned to each
of their jobs functions. The employee will then be reviewed and evaluated for each
job function resulting in an overall evaluation rating based on total points. The
scale for these evaluation will range from 1- 5, 1 being unsatisfactory, 5 being
outstanding. Annual pay raises will be based upon cost of living increases and
metrics. Staff who are not able to meet an overall minimum average of a 3.0 on
assessed metrics may be placed on probation or dismissed.
Bonuses are divided into two categories, annual and profit-sharing. Employees who
exceed organizational objectives and obtain a minimum of a 4.0 overall evaluation
will rating, will receive an annual bonus in addition to their annual raise. For
example, an employee who has an overall metric score of 4.0 would receive a bonus
of 2% their annual salary. An employee with a 5.0 metric score would receive 4% of
their annual salary. Profit sharing bonuses may be awarded dependent upon
measurable goals which increase the companys departmental or overall
profitability. As the department is collaborative in nature, should an employee
suggest an idea, regardless of area, that significant increases the profitability of the
organization, he or she may be awarded a bonus. All bonuses are awarded at the
end of Aardvark's fiscal year.
Aardvark will also recognize employee roles and highlight exceptional contributions
through a monthly email blast, although it is important to note that this will not
negate continuous feedback and recognition by departmental heads to team
members contributions. Rather this will provide a venue for company-wide
recognition of the individuals contributions.

Professional Development

Aardvark will encourage professional growth by providing paid continuing education

classes to those in the Technical Communication department through online
coursework, workshops and the like. All paid classes must be approved by the
departmental manager. The departmental manager will ensure that appropriate
allotments are made within the budget to allow for the aforementioned courses.
The encouragement of professional development will be seen as an added benefit
on the part of employees and will provide a tangible benefit to the company by
increasing the skill set of current employees.
By providing a competitive pay range, additional monetary compensation and
tangible benefits and recognition, Aardvark should be able to recruit effective and
experienced technical communicators, which will form the core of our department.
If you have any questions or concerns about the aforementioned compensation
packages, please feel free to contact me by email at
lamaffarm14@students.ecu.edu or by phone at 919-522-7674.

Information-Development Project Plan

Midas Project Plan
REVISION HISTORY
Date
Version
July 17,
2015

Author
1.0

Explanation of Change

Melissa
Lamaffar

Initial Plan

CONTACT INFORMATION
Prepared by
Organization:
Location:
Email address:
522-7674

Melissa Lamaffar
Aardvark
Rm 47, Greenville NC
lamaffarm14@students.ecu.edu

Phone number:

APPROVED BY
Name

Position

Bruce Ardmore

President, CEO

Rebba Kellog

VP, Engineering

Dan Chu

Manager, Engineering

Gina Varcone

VP, Professional Services

Edward Haskell

Marketing Manger

Date

919-

10

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Midas:
Midas is a personal investing program, compatible with popular tax programs
targeted toward individuals and small investors. This software product which will
run under Windows and will allow users to track stock portfolios, buy and sell
equities, obtain detailed reports about their holdings, and make decisions about
future purchases.
With next years projected sales totaling approximately $10,000,000 is gross
profits, it is of the utmost importance to ensure that the documentation developed
in conjunction with the product is clear, concise and user-friendly. The Technical
Communications department, working in conjunction with Engineering will create an
online help program, how-to manual and tri-fold brochure which will assist in the
installation and use of the product. This documentation will reduce and potentially
eliminate the need for company installations of product, reduce the rate of
customer complaints and returns, and increase overall profits.

PROJECT SCHEDULE
Date
Milestone
Jan 1
Feb 1
March 1

Stakeholders

Begin project

Engineering, Professional Services,

Technical Communications

Completion of Documentation
Templates (Manual, Brochure)

Technical Communications

Completion of Supply Guide template Technical Communications

April 1

Initial Technical Documentation due

Technical Communications

April 1

Alpha version of code due

Engineering

April 15

May 1
May 15
June 1
June 15
July 1

Completion of Documentation
Usability Testing
(Alpha Version)
Revision of Technical Documentation
Due
Beta Version due
Completion of Documentation
Usability Testing (Beta Version)
Final Version of Technical
Documentation Due
Final Version due

Technical Communications, Engineering

Technical Communications
Engineering
Technical Communications, Engineering
Technical Communications
Engineering

11

DESCRIPTION OF THE AUDIENCE FOR THE DELIVERABLES AND THE

INFORMATION

Users for this product will be individuals and small investor interested in the ability to
track stock portfolios, buy and sell equities and obtain detailed reports about their
holding in order to make decisions about future purchases. As individuals are likely
to have a novice to immediate level of experience with software products, the
product must be intuitive and technical documentation must provide step-by-step
instructions free of technical jargon. As this software product is a major revision of a
legacy product, assessments were made based upon previous purchasers and
identified target audiences based upon Marketing and feedback from Professional
Services.

User Profile
John is a 35 year-old marketing executive with a wife and 3
children. John enjoys running, cycling and other physical
activities. He has a number of small investments and is looking
for a software product which will allow him to track his portfolio
and will provide direction in future purchases. While familiar with
basic software such as Microsoft Office, he does not have
extensive technical experience. John requires a product which is
easy to understand, requires no programming knowledge and is
comptabile with his current PC software.

John

USABILITY REQUIREMENTS
Individual consumers are unlikely to significant programming experience and will
need step by step instructions with visuals in order to install and run the
software. Technical Communications will conduct multiple usability tests in
order to ensure that technical documentation is clear and accessible for project
consumer. Extensive usability testing of technical documentation must be
completed using a novice to ensure utility of documentation. Technical
Communications department will also meet with Professional Services and
Customer Service to discuss common questions, installation issues, and
customer base. Help guide and manual must include index, glossary, and

12

precise step-by-step instructions with visuals. Tri-fold brochure will provide an

overview of the product.

Information Development
During the development of the initial Midas product, usability testing was not
conducted on the software or the technical documentation. As all previous
documentation was not tested for usability, and no current templates or standards
exist, documents will be created under new editorial organizational standards.
INFORMATION-DEVELOPMENT PROJECT SCOPE

Deliverable title

Delivery
method

Langua
ges

%Changed

Page/Topic Count

InformationDevelopment Project
Plan

E-mail

English

Supply Help System

HTML

English

200 topics

Training Document

Print or PDF

English

50 pages

Tri-fold brochure

Print or PDF

English

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS TEAM:

MIDAS PROJECT
Role

Contact

Melissa
Lamaffar

Project
Managemen
t

Alan Alpha

Information
analysis and
design

Rm 47
Lamaffarm14@students.ecu
.edu
919-5227674
Rm 48
aalpha@aardvark.com
919-555-5123

Betty Beta

Information
Developmen
t

Rm 49
bbeta@aardvark.com
919-555-1223

Gina

Page design

Rm 50

Name

Responsibility

Oversees project, ensures

deliverables are met in a timely
fashion and within budget.
Senior technical writer will
oversee help supply guide and
guide initial designs for
documents
Implementation of content within
documents, primarily focused on
copy documents
Oversee that documents
conform to previously

13

Gamma

and layout

ggamma@aardvark.com
919-555-1243

Gina
Gamma

Review and
editing

Rm 50
ggamma@aardvark.com
919-555-1243

Melissa
Lamaffar

Final
production

Rm 47
Lamaffarm14@students.ecu
.edu
919-5227674

established templates and

adhere to organization
guidelines.
Serves in editorial capacity and
will review documents to ensure
editorial and organization
standards are maintained.
Provides overview of technical
documents and ensures editorial,
organization and discipline
methodologies and standards are
met.

PROJECT DEPENDENCIES AND RISKS

The ability to deliver on schedule is dependent upon engineering meeting
deliverable deadlines, and usability testing conducted in a timely manner. Groups
identified to be involved with usability testing must be scheduled well in advance to
ensure that milestones are on schedule and meet identified quality standards.
PROJECT ASSUMPTIONS
Schedule and budgets based upon information provided regarding projected release
dates of the software, standard industry averages, variables and additional product
and software requirements.
RISK ANALYSIS
Risk
Description

Probability

Potential
Impact

Prevention
Plan

Contingency Plan

Time
management

High

Missed
deadlines,
incomplete or
substandard
deliverables

Check actual
progress
against
projections

Add fudge to schedules;

Drop in
usefulness of
information,
lowered
effectiveness
of
deliverables

Reminder
calls or emails

Missed or
canceled
appointments
for usability
testing

High

DEPENDENCIES CALCULATION
See pages 14-18

Communicate
obstacles
Alternative dates; back-up testers

14

PROJECT TOTAL HOURS AND COSTS

See pages 14-18
OTHER PROJECT RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS
No additional hardware or software required. Two trips for usability testing will cost
approximately $1000 per trip. This expense has been identified within the budget.

15

Budget Overview
The following pages provide a breakdown of estimated expenses for the project.
Technical Communications rate is estimated at $30 per hour, with the burdened rate
of $100/hr. All projected expenses are based on industry standards in required
number of hours for development. Two usability tests are planned at a cost of
$1,000 per trip, however as testing on all of the documents is completed on these
two, the expense is included on only one of the work sheets. No additional costs
are projected outside of the project burdened cost and variable rate.
By completing these projects, overall revenue should rise as the customer
complaints and returns fall and customer satisfaction increases.

Budget Totals
Product

Estimated Cost

Total

Brochure

1,008

1,008

Manual

25,200

25,200

Supply Guide

100,800

100,800

Indirect Expense

2 trips/1,000 each

2,000

Total Project Cost

129,008

16

Technical Communication Estimation - Brochure

Project Name: Midas Tri-fold Brochure
Estimate Date: July 17, 2015
Estimated By: Melissa Lamaffar
1. Technical Communication Deliverable Type: Print Brochure
2. Number of units (pages, screens, messages, etc.): 2 pages
3. Hours per unit to develop this type: 4 hours per unit
4. Multiply line 2 (# of units) by line 3 (hours per unit) and enter result here: 8 total
hours
5. Enter the hourly cost to develop this type of unit:100 per hour at burdened rate
6. Multiply line 4 times by line 5 and enter result here: 800
7. Enter variables, ranges, and range for this project: (see page 134 for possible
variables)
Variable

Variable Range

This Project

SME Availability

90-110%

95%

Product Stability

90-110%

110%

Team Experience

80-120%

110%

Review Cycles

90-110%

100%

Quality Process

80-120%

110%

1. Multiply "This Project" numbers times by each other and enter result: 1.26
2. Multiply line 6 by line 8 and enter the result here: 1,008$
3.

Enter your markup percentage here: included in burdened rate

4. Multiply line 9 by line 10 and enter the result here: N/A

5. Add line 9 and line 11 and enter the result here: 1,008 direct expenses plus markup
6. Enter estimated expenses (indirect costs) here: N/A

Add lines 12 and 13 for Total TC Development Cost (DC) = $1,008

Value Added (VA)

The brochure will provide an overview of the product and act as a quick Marketing tool for
those interested in the product. The brochure may increase revenue by providing additional
information about the product to potential customers who may not be familiar with the
product. It is an inexpensive way to market the product.

17

Technical Communication Estimation Help Guide

Project Name: Midas Supply Help Guide
Estimate Date: July 17, 2015
Estimated By: Melissa Lamaffar
7. Technical Communication Deliverable Type: Online Help Guide
8. Number of units (pages, screens, messages, etc.): 200 topics
9. Hours per unit to develop this type: 4 hours per unit
10.Multiply line 2 (# of units) by line 3 (hours per unit) and enter result here: 800
total hours
11.Enter the hourly cost to develop this type of unit:100 per hour at burdened rate
12.Multiply line 4 times by line 5 and enter result here: 80,000
13.Enter variables, ranges, and range for this project: (see page 134 for possible
variables)
Variable

Variable Range

This Project

SME Availability

90-110%

95%

Product Stability

90-110%

110%

Team Experience

80-120%

110%

Review Cycles

90-110%

100%

Quality Process

80-120%

110%

14.Multiply "This Project" numbers times by each other and enter result: 1.26
15.Multiply line 6 by line 8 and enter the result here: 100800$
16. Enter your markup percentage here: included in burdened rate
17.Multiply line 9 by line 10 and enter the result here:_______________ markup amount
18.Add line 9 and line 11 and enter the result here: 100,800 direct expenses plus
markup
19.Enter estimated expenses (indirect costs) here: __________________ expense

Add lines 12 and 13 for Total TC Development Cost (DC) = Online Supply Help
Guide =$100,800

Value Added (VA)

The help guide will provide information on approximately 200 topics reducing the amount of
calls to customer services and increase customer satisfaction and reduce the rate of return
of the product. By reducing calls to customer services, profit margins should increase.

18

Technical Communication Estimation- Manual

Project Name: Midas Manual
Estimate Date: July 17, 2015
Estimated By: Melissa Lamaffar
1. Technical Communication Deliverable Type: Print Manual
2. Number of units (pages, screens, messages, etc.): 50 pages
3. Hours per unit to develop this type: 4 hours per unit
4. Multiply line 2 (# of units) by line 3 (hours per unit) and enter result here: 200
total hours
5. Enter the hourly cost to develop this type of unit:100 per hour at burdened rate
6. Multiply line 4 times by line 5 and enter result here: 20000
7. Enter variables, ranges, and range for this project:
Variable

Variable Range

This Project

SME Availability

90-110%

95%

Product Stability

90-110%

110%

Team Experience

80-120%

110%

Review Cycles

90-110%

100%

Quality Process

80-120%

110%

1. Multiply "This Project" numbers times by each other and enter result: 1.26
2. Multiply line 6 by line 8 and enter the result here: 25,200$
3.

Enter your markup percentage here: included in burdened rate

4. Multiply line 9 by line 10 and enter the result here:_______________ markup amount
5. Add line 9 and line 11 and enter the result here: 25,200 direct expenses plus markup
6. Enter estimated expenses (indirect costs) here: 2,00 expenses

Add lines 12 and 13 for Total TC Development Cost (DC) = Manual =$27,200
Value Added (VA)
A manual will eliminate the need for staff installation of products, increase customer
satisfaction and ultimately increase overall profits. As customers will no longer
need to contact the company with questions, the volume of customer complaints
and questions should drop dramatically further increasing profit margins.