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They
are the people who turn the complexities of the computer into simplicities
on paper. And spurred by growing demand, the tribe of the scribe
is increasing.
Technical
writers are essential elements of a software development team project.
And with the increase in outsourcing work to India, there has been
a lot of movement in the technical writers’ space. Recognising
the talent and realising the cost-effectiveness of India’s
technical writers, many global companies have started outsourcing
their work to Indian shores, and many more are planning to set up
technical writer teams in India.
 Most
MNC software giants who have development centres in India now want
Indian writers to do the documentation work for their global clients.
Since technical writing was traditionally managed by the MNC, this
goes to show the importance—in terms of writing and delivery—that
Indian technical communicators have gained.
Apart
from having clients across the globe, MNC software companies also
have a number of Indian clients, so it makes sense for them to have
a technical writing team in India, which can develop documentation
for both Indian as well as global clients. Another advantage is
that writers here can interact directly with Indian clients.
Besides
MNCs, there are Indian companies with development bases outside
India, who employ tech writers from India. There are also Indian
freelancers, operating from India, who are working for clients outside
India. “IT companies, big and small, Indian and transnational,
are recruiting tech writers/communicators, instructional designers,
documentation specialists, etc,” says Priyadarshi Tripathy,
a consultant with HCL Infosystems, who is currently working on a
project for a client in Sydney, Australia.
Foreign
demand
Strengthening
this trend is an increasing demand for Indian technical writers
to work abroad on different assignments. Considering that the job
profile of a technical communicator is to provide good quality project
documentation, which is seen as being as crucial as the solution
itself, it becomes imperative to ensure better communication between
the writers and the client.
Explains
Mita Ray Brahma, who heads corporate HRD at Nucleus Software Exports,
“In most cases customer requirements are not frozen at the
beginning; instead, they keep changing till the implementation/deployment
stage. Any change in the software solution must get reflected in
the supportive documents. Close interaction between the documentation
team and the development team provides quality documentation for
the solution.”
While
the onsite work proves beneficial to the client, it also helps improve
the career prospects of a technical writer since it adds to his
credentials. Not only does he get exposure to client environments,
he also benefits through client interactions. Says Frederick Menezes,
a former president of the India chapter of the Society for Technical
Communication (STC), and senior technical writer with Pune-based
Veritas Software, “For most of us in India, travel to foreign
lands is always an incentive. Working with foreigners and in different
cultures is always an enriching experience.”
In some cases, clients ask technical writers to work onsite as they
could be looking for solutions more customised to their work cultures.
This can mean additional cost for the company or the client. However,
companies are of the opinion that the sensitivity and criticality
of the project overrides the cost factor. “It may be more cost-effective
if we have an onsite development team and an offsite documentation
team. However, the cost of incorrect documentation could be much
higher than what we save by keeping an offsite documentation team,”
Brahma points out.
Skills
required
In
terms of skill sets, the preference is for individuals who have
worked with similar domains and technologies as it helps secure
an easy fit with the organisation, and causes fewer hiccups in terms
of implementation. Training in cross-cultural issues is also suggested
for people going to client sites. Says Tripathy, “Apart from
basic requisites like strong communication skills, both written
and verbal, one criterion would be to understand the intricacies
of writing for an international audience. A tech writer is required
to possess the ability to understand technology and convey it to
the audience in the most appropriate manner. Plus there are specific
requirements such as an understanding of programming languages like
Java and C++, or applications like SAP and Oracle Finance.”
Training may also be required for certain project-specific applications
or technologies. For example, if a networking company has taken
on a tech writer, training can be given to the writer on basic networking
concepts, along with information about the product that the writer
will be writing on.
What
is significant in all this is the demand graph, which is expected
only to rise, thanks to the increasing number of organisations doing
outsourced/contractual documentation for clients. What companies
need to do now is pay attention to the nurturing of good technical
writers; it requires a special combination of skills and attitudes
to succeed in this profession, and companies must do all they can
to help.
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