Keynote address at the 2017 Spectrum conference delivered at the Rochester Institute of Technology for the STC Rochester Chapter. Looks at how the work of technical communication must change in the light of Digital Transformation.

1. The Brave New
World of
Technical
Communication
Joe Gollner | @joegollner
Managing Director
Gnostyx Research Inc.
info@gnostyx.com

2. Sign Posts on the Journey
A Digital Revolution
Technical Communication
in a Digital Age
A Brave New World
@joegollner 2

3. A Digital Revolution
Times are a-changin’
@joegollner 3

4. @joegollner 4
Digital Technology
Digital Strategy
Digital Disruption
Digital Economy
Digital Society
Digital Natives
Digital Competitors
Digital Skills
Digital Entrants
Digital Agility
Digital Talent
Digital Traction
Digital Metrics
Digital Operations
Digital Product Lifecycle
Digital Workforce
Digital Process
Digital Design
Digital Literacy
Digital Maturity
Digital Impact
Digital Transformation
Digital OfferingsDigital Channels
Digital Information Digital Platform
Digital Services
Digital Unicorns
Digital Organizations
Digital Innovation
Digital Lifecycle
Digital Monetization
Digital Capabilities
Digital World
Digital Awareness
Digital Consumption
Digital Leaders
Digital Business
Digital Culture
Digital Capital
Digital Differentiation
Digital Flexibility
Digital Governance
Digital Partners
Digital Customers
Digital Industry
Digital Future
Digital Ecosystems
Digital Jobs
Digital Manufacturing
Digital Value
Digital Supply Chain
Digital Mind
Digital Laggards
Digital Content
Digital Competence
Digital Era
Digital Framework
Digital Revolution
Digital Media
Digital Networks
Digital Communities
Digital Tribes
Digital Ventures
Digital Experiment
Digital Enterprise
Digital Nomads
Digital Crowd

5. Perspectives on the Revolution
Digital Technology
Digital Disruption
Digital Enterprise
Digital Workforce
Digital Transformation
Digital Agility
Digital Information
@joegollner 5

6. Digital Technology
Digital Representations of
Everything
Products
Processes
Customers
Working with Digital
Representations
Interpretation
Integration
Coordination
Control
@joegollner 6

7. The Evolution of Technology
@joegollner 7

8. Digital Disruption
Digital Technology
Changes things
Everything is digitally
• Analyzed
• Monitored
• Redesigned
• Recreated
• Controlled
Disruption is the Effect
Legacy practices threatened
Legacy interests endangered
Sounds scary because it is…
@joegollner 8

9. Disruption & Barnaclization
Barnaclization
The accrual of individually
beneficial innovations
that progressively
degrade
overall performance
Universal fate of all
systems
• Organizations
• Processes
• Technologies
• Ideas
@joegollner 9
Disruption
becomes a
necessary
corrective

10. Digital Disruption Full Disclosure
10
The Content Philosopher
www.gollner.ca
Digital Disruptor
@joegollner

11. Digital Enterprise
End-to-End
Digitization
Cyber-
Human-
Physical
Systems
Completely
Virtualized
@joegollner 11

12. Digital Workforce
@joegollner 12
Distributed
& Mobile
Diverse &
multi-
generational
Bring-Your-
Own-Device
(BYOD)

13. Digital Transformation (DX)
@joegollner 13
Everything is rethought
– starting with the customer

14. Digital Transformation
Absolute Focus
on the Customer
Who do they need to do?
Has always been true
When reintroduced
Shakes up assumptions
Scatters sacred cows
Awakens the elephant
in the room
Shatters barnacles
Ignites resistance
@joegollner 14
The Rise of
Customer Experience

15. Digital Agility
@joegollner 15
Outcome of
Digital Transformation
is the pursuit of
Digital Agility
The ability to change on
a dime to address a new
customer need
To exploit an
new opportunity
To respond to a
new threat

16. The Dawn of Digital Information
@joegollner 16
Information
becomes fully
digital
Information
processes
become fully
digital
Calls for fully
digital content

17. X
@joegollner 17
Embracing Change

18. Technical Communication
in a Digital Age
@joegollner 18

19. The Ask of Technical Communicators
Help us to really understand what users are trying to do
Help users to meet these goals using what we provide them
@joegollner 19

20. A Two-way Street
Facilitating a dialogue between
User Tasks and Product Design
In one direction, it is about
communicating information
about the product or service
to customers & users
In the other, it is communicating
details about user tasks back to
product design
@joegollner 20

21. Leveraging User Task Insight
@joegollner 21
Design
Development
Delivery
Customer
Use
Historical Model Digital ModelProduct Lifecycle The Relative
Investment in
Communication
Activities &
Deliverables
Significant
increase in
investment
from Historical
to Digital
Models
[e.g., 270%]

22. Expanding the Spectrum of Impact
In the Digital Enterprise, communication is everything
Connecting the enterprise to its customers & users
Connecting partner enterprises
Connecting specialties within the enterprise
Connecting communication specialties
Connecting communication channels & technologies
@joegollner 22

23. Diversify or Dubai
Not that Dubai is a bad place
But one organization was
going to relocate all Technical
Communication functions to
Dubai for tax reasons
Emergency Response:
diversify communication
activities into business
analysis, sales, internal procedures…
@joegollner 23

24. @joegollner 24
Learning the Hard Way

25. A Brave New World
When you come to a fork in the road, take it!
Yogi Berra
@joegollner 25

26. A Positive Outlook
The Digital Revolution is upon us
It will hit you if it has not already
There is more work for
communicators in this
Brave New World – not less
The changes required really play to
core strengths of communicators
The basics of making connections
@joegollner 26

27. Comments | Questions | Rebuttals
@joegollner 27
Making Connections:
Joe Gollner
Managing Director
Gnostyx Research Inc.
jag@gnostyx.com
@gnostyx
@joegollner
Content Philosopher Blog:
www.gollner.ca