2011-5: Documentation and Your Brand 2011-4: Leadership 2011-3: Change Management 2011-2: Project Size 2011-1: Operational Challenges 2010-7: Compliance Requirements 2010-6: Assisting Staff 2010-5: Process Ownership 2010-4: Consistency & Standardization 2010-3: Testing 2010-2: Implementing Strategy & Tactical Objectives 2010-1: Operational Questions 2009: Business Continuity Expert's Interview 2009: Documenting Critical Processes 2009; Efficient versus Effective 2009: Defining Your Critical Processes 2009: Operational Questions for 2009 2008: Documentation Helpful Hints 2008: Project Management Helpful Hints 2008: Process Assessment Helpful Hints 2008: Why choose Aldridge Kerr? 2007: Why documentation? 2007: Why project management? 2007: Why process assessment? 2006: Process Documentation Myths 2003: Excerpt from a Speech 2011, Vol. 5  Focus on Documentation and Your Brand      Thought worth remembering “A brand is how I feel when I'm in the presence of your product/service/company.” —Alex Asacker   Documentation and Your Brand Have you considered how your documentation – both internal and external – impacts your brand? What are the implications of the documentation written throughout your organization on how you are viewed by your Customers, your Staff, your Competition, and your industry’s Regulators? Your brand sends a message as to who and what your organization is. And, that brand is more than your logo, marketing collaterals, and website. It includes any written communication, including your company forms, your letters, your Policies and Procedures, Technical Specifications, emails, User’s Guides, etc. We all have seen written communications from an organization and have come to either positive or negative conclusions. Have you considered the impact to your brand based on how your written communication is documented? Here are some simple helpful hints to consider as to how your brand is communicated within your documentation: Consider the message you want your documentation to send to the Reader – both internally and externally – as this becomes an extension of your brand. Use consistent terms and phrases that are easily understood so that the Reader can easily and clearly grasp the messages you want to send. Ensure the presentation of data within your forms (both electronic and hard copies) include headers, footers, version dates, and correct spelling and grammar. Standardize the “look and feel” of similar documentation Tools (Policies and Procedures, User’s Guides, Technical Requirements, etc.) to avoid confusion and disconnects. Without them, these limit the reader’s ability to grasp the document’s topic. If you are doing all of the above, then your brand is clearly being communicated through your documentation. However, if you realize you have some areas of improvement, Aldridge Kerr can assist you in addressing these challenges. Contact Charlene Aldridge at 972.447.9787 or CharleneAldridge@aldridgekerr.com to discuss how we can assist you in improving how you manage your documentation. Top
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