Work Experience

Documentation Consultant

Kevin Lewis, Inc., Huntington Beach, California
May 2007 - Present

Kevin Lewis, Inc. is my technical documentation consulting business. Through this business I work with clients to offer many types of deliverables such as online help, hardcopy documentation, and strategic plans. My most recent clients include:

• Yahoo! Inc., Burbank, California: Yahoo! is one of the leading search engines on the web. As a consultant for this company, I plan, write, and edit web-based online help topics that support their advertising application. I have also been instrumental in helping them strategize for a long-term content management and help authoring system.
• Gartner, Inc., Stamford, Connecticut: Gartner is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory company. As a subcontractor for their primary vendor, I reviewed transcripts from interviews Gartner conducted with IT executives and then converted the interview content into written case studies.
• BioDot, Inc, Irvine, California: BioDot is a supplier of system tools for the research, development, and commercialization of diagnostic tests. As a consultant for this company, I overhauled their product documentation set and produced both online and hardcopy publications.

Manager, Technical Documentation

Iron Mountain Incorporated, Southborough, Massachusetts
(Formerly Connected Corporation)
June 2001 - March 2006

The Digital business unit at Iron Mountain develops software for protecting and archiving distributed data. Other engineering groups within the company develop software that supports the company’s records management and asset storage business. The software is developed predominantly with C, Java, web technologies, and relational databases and includes both client and server systems. As manager of the documentation group, I supervised a team of seven technical writers in multiple locations across the United States who support all of the company’s engineering efforts. My managerial duties included mapping out the group’s direction, designing the group’s infrastructure and the documentation we delivered, guiding the group in delivering documentation that spans multiple products, and assisting writers in setting project goals. As a manager, I also determined and administered the group’s budget and designed and executed plans for the group to support corporate goals. Managing in an engineering environment, I worked with other engineering managers to coordinate all projects and track them to completion. As time permitted, I also filled technical writer duties to help produce documentation deliverables. In the technical writer role, I designed, developed, and deployed hardcopy and online documentation including manuals, online help systems, and articles for a web-based resource center. I also performed peer edits and led the company’s efforts to create and enforce corporate standards for documentation and product interfaces.

Technical Writer (Temporary Contract)

Jitia Software Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts
March 2001 - May 2001

Jitia developed decision-making software that helped its users perform system dynamics modeling. The product was developed in the C programming language. As the sole technical writer for this small company, I assessed documentation needs, determined documentation deliverables, and managed the documentation project. I developed and deployed hardcopy and online documentation including a reference manual, getting started guide, tutorial, and online help system.

Documentation Manager

PrimeStreet Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts
January 2001 - February 2001

PrimeStreet developed web-based applications that enabled online lending for small businesses. Their products included both client and server technologies. As the first documentation professional for this startup company, I developed the structure of the company’s documentation group, assessed documentation needs, and implemented documentation strategies. Filling duties as a lead technical writer, I also planned, wrote, and edited installation, administration, and architectural documents for hardcopy and the web.

Manager, Information Delivery

HighPoint Systems, Inc., Lexington, Massachusetts
January 2000 - January 2001

HighPoint Systems developed client, server, and Palm OS systems for repeat-order e-commerce, such as online grocery stores. As the first documentation professional for this startup company, I developed the structure of the company’s Information Delivery group, assessed documentation needs, implemented documentation strategies, and supervised personnel who were involved in the development of documentation and training material. Also filling a small marketing role, I worked with marketing personnel to help determine product branding and how documentation could support different branding ideas. Performing lead technical writer duties, I planned, wrote, and edited hardcopy and online documentation including installation manuals, administration guides, product datasheets, and online help. I also established company styles and standards, created documentation templates, and provided design and editing feedback for the corporate web site.

Course Developer

IDX Systems Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts
March 1999 - January 2000

IDX Systems develops PC and Internet-based applications for the healthcare industry. As a course developer for this company, I researched, planned, and designed the web framework for the company’s web-based university. I conducted focus groups and meetings to determine the online university’s design, wrote functional specifications for the online university, and implemented the design specifications for the online university using HTML and Internet programming. I also assisted with the design and development of computer-based and web-based training systems.

Lead Technical Writer

IDX Systems Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts
September 1996 - March 1999

As a lead technical writer at IDX, I planned, wrote, and edited user’s guides, installation manuals, and online help for a medical data warehousing and relational reporting application. I designed, implemented, and tested new integration of computer-based training multimedia files with online help, wrote HTML and assisted with VBScript to integrate a database with online help, and designed and wrote message boxes for software applications. I also trained technical writers on RoboHelp and JavaHelp, trained software developers on IDX documentation templates, mentored technical writing interns, and coordinated and moderated round-table discussions for technical writer meetings. Working closely with developers, I assisted with software user interface design.