Starting out in software documentation, the entire team would sit around a table and talk with the PM and divvy out sections of the project. Then we’d break off and scatter to do the work. My work entailed jumping around to those who held all legacy knowledge and expanding wisdom – the subject matter expert (SME). Reaching this group with their full schedules and meetings required a lot of flexibility in scheduling and note taking. Though I am an extrovert, and interviewing was one of my favorite parts of my job, I did wonder if taking notes and outlining along with any specific details that may have been missed while I was simultaneously writing and listening could have been streamlined.
My wishes were granted. Though artificial intelligence has been around for a while, it’s only been within the last year that it’s really taken off. Advanced transcription tools and platforms designed for remote interviews have become available on a large scale. Along with the benefit of tools and platforms, attitudes about various perspectives and the inclusion of multiple voices have made the creation of products that serve everyone more accessible.
New Tools
AI-driven transcription and analysis tools have become more sophisticated, allowing for real-time transcription with higher accuracy. Tools like Dialpad and Otter.io provide either in-platform or ad-in services that offer advanced features like sentiment analysis and keyword extraction. These tools provide deeper insights from interviews. Greater detail in the transcripts can aid technical writers when adding more specific information to the documentation.
Reaching Out…Remotely
During most of my freelance work, I became used to the video conference platforms (but I know everyone got a crash course in 2020!). Being familiar with Zoom or Microsoft Teams allowed me to easily interview SMEs from anywhere. Now with the shift towards remote and hybrid work environments having accelerated, making virtual SME interviews more common. Platforms and tools have been specifically designed or updated for remote interviews, now offering better video and audio quality, seamless scheduling, and integrated collaboration features. Google Meet and Zoom both have collaboration and scheduling options.
Options to include chats to interview SMEs have also been considered.
Listening to Everyone
Within the last few years, there has been an increased emphasis on ensuring diverse and inclusive representation in SME interviews. Organizations are more conscious about involving a wider range of experts from different backgrounds, ensuring a broader spectrum of perspectives and experiences are documented. Interviews can be extended to the employees outside the usual user-group to test the software and review the documentation. User acceptance testing of the software may include an evaluation of the documentation and provide a different perspective on written assumptions.
Hyper Writer 