Mary Van Brink
Introduction
At Abbott, my editing responsibilities revolve around the validation of computerized systems. The global computerized systems validation team includes members from Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, The Netherlands, and the United States.
We use a document repository system that enables us to electronically create, edit, and route documents for review and approval. This document repository system ensures that only one person has control of a document at a time from anywhere around the world. Formal change control enables the revision of documents. Some of the challenges that our global computerized systems validation team encounters are differing time zones, lack of proximity, and communication. To mitigate these problems, consider employing the following strategies:
Assignments
When you receive an assignment, repeat the request back to the person to be sure that you completely understand the goals and timelines. Follow up with an e-mail to confirm your understanding. Attempt to communicate with your authors in their native language. Try closing an e-mail or speaking phrases during a conversation in the author’s language. This endears you to them because you are attempting to communicate, even if your accent is atrocious. Prettig weekend en tot maandag. (That’s Dutch for “Have a nice weekend and talk to you next Monday.”)
Deadlines
If the deadline is approaching, send an e-mail to explain your progress and to remind the author that you are actively working on the request. If for any reason you are unable to make the deadline, contact the author immediately so you can negotiate a new deadline.
Differing Time Zones
Because global members may work across several time zones, be considerate as you coordinate meetings. Vary the meeting times to ensure that the same people aren’t always inconvenienced.
Editing
When it comes to editing, it doesn’t matter that an author has been a writer for 25 years. Everyone needs an editor. As an author, how often have you become so engrossed with the content that you don’t notice the mistakes anymore? It happens to all of us. Encourage your authors to relinquish their documents to an editor who can see the content with fresh eyes.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
English is usually the official language for global documentation. If you have ever read instructions that were written by a non-English-speaking author and then translated, you understand the problems you will encounter as you edit the work of ESL authors. You must determine the message that the author is trying to convey before you can help finalize content.
Lack of Proximity
Proximity is related to time. Be mindful that you may not be able to get an immediate response to your questions and plan accordingly.
Style Guide
Maintaining a simple style guide is a must. Post the style guide to a team site where the authors can access the content electronically. Have you ever encountered a belligerent author who is convinced that they don’t need an editor? Having a style guide to reference diffuses the situation and provides an opportunity to teach the author. It insures that there documents are as affective as possible. Did you jump out of your skin while reading the mistakes? Just checking to see if you’re paying attention!
Templates
It is vital to standardize the use of English in global documents. To that end, use boilerplate templates to aid the creation of documents. Using templates prompts the author for required information, and the documents have a consistent look and feel. One of the most difficult tasks for an editor is to perceive what’s missing. A consistent structure simplifies identifying missing information.