Our approach...

To give you a rough idea, and to help with your initial planning, we would expect an 'Average' handbook of 120 pages to take about 15 days effort, from kick-off meeting to publication. This will vary according to complexity and assumes a few things including good availability of source information and feedback, but it is a reasonable ball-park figure. To give you an example of the writing process, On-Line Consultants usually approach a documentation task in the following way:

• Initial meeting at your premises to discuss your requirements and to define the scope of the document(s)
• We give you a written proposal, including costs and timescales
• Commence task:
  - visit your subject matter experts to gather information
  - receive any existing specification/source material from you
• We produce and deliver a first draft
  - we resolve any detailed queries with your subject matter experts as work progresses (email/phone/visits as required)
  - we highlight any areas which are deficient due to lack of information
  - you review the document(s), provide detailed comments, and attempt to resolve deficiencies
• We produce additional drafts which should be complete
• You review and feed back any last-minute changes
• We deliver 'Issue Status' soft-copy for publishing
• We can arrange to have the handbooks printed if you require hard-copy delivery

The above describes a 'typical' process. We try throughout to make as few demands as possible on your subject matter experts. Although we work mainly at our own premises, we are currently writing handbooks very successfully for clients in London, Cambridge, Harlow, Reading, Belfast, Ottowa (Canada), São Paulo (Brazil).