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JTCA Facts

JTCA Business Plan

Fiscal Year 2010
Japan Technical Communicators Association
Provisional Business Plan

1. Overall Plan

Overall Plan

Increase membership by extending Technical Communication Technology (TC technology) to new fields

To accommodate changes in the TC technology environment, from 2010 we will extend TC technology to new fields, and at the same time expand the base of TC technology business activities. This will strengthen JTCA’s presence in the business sphere, while simultaneously enhancing its name recognition. We are also aiming for increased participation in events such as the TC Symposium and JTCA seminars, and to expand our membership, both corporate and individual.

Augment human resource development

We will bolster activities designed to train professional users of TC technology. We aim to raise a new generation of TC specialists in the 20-to-30 age group. At the same time, we will promote reeducation of mid-level to expert TC specialists by incorporating new trends in TC technology. Our goals are to disseminate useful TC technology, and to promote higher skill levels amongst all TC members.

Promote “Instructions for Use”

As we extend TC technology to new fields, we will be completely redesigning the Japan Manual Awards with the aim of promoting the broad concept of "Instructions for Use" so as to foster a desire to strive for excellence in instruction guides. This is intended to stem the decline in awards entries, and ultimately lead to an increase in participation.

Achieve a single-year profit

In promoting these plans, the JTCA intends to improve its revenue balance to achieve a single-year profit in the fiscal year 2010. To achieve this, costs will be greatly reduced as compared to the business plan that we produced upon becoming a general incorporated foundation.

Priority Plan for Public Projects

2. Priority Plan

Formulate curriculum guidelines for TC-specialized education in cooperation with the University of Tsukuba

We will boost cooperation with universities in order to formulate a standard curriculum for TC-specialized education. In particular, in cooperation with the University of Tsukuba, we will undertake a project to formulate TC-specialized curriculum guidelines. Our goal is to start special courses in April 2011.

Undertake a redesign of the Japan Manual Awards

For the 2010 Japan Manual Awards, we will convene an executive committee (to be appointed annually) separate from the Manual Contest Committee itself. This will lead to formulation and implementation of a medium-to long-term plan for improvement. Also, we will completely reorganize entry fields and screening standards, and thereby aim to increase the number of entries to the awards. We will also begin considering an international awards in cooperation with tekom, the German professional association for technical communication and information development.

Enhance public interest and inter-business cooperation through the TC Symposium

As we strive to extend TC technology to new fields and undertake new businesses, we will not only build on achievements gained through past TC Symposiums, but design our programs to intermesh with the public interest activities of the JTCA so as to generate a synergetic business effect.

Strengthen cooperation with related organizations

In promoting overall non-profit activities, we will strengthen cooperation with the following organizations and promote collaboration with specialists around those fields, thereby achieving greater name recognition for the JTCA.

- DITA Consortium Japan (adoption of the XML document production base)
- RIA Consortium Japan (expansion of Web technologies)
- Information Processing Society of Japan (increase membership from the IT field)
- Collaboration with UD/UI-related organizations (membership expansion linked to the 2010 Symposium theme)
- JETRO (membership expansion linked to Overseas Market Committee activities)
- JEITA and the Association for Electric Home Appliances (member expansion linked to standardization activities)

Priority Plan for Revenue-Generating Activities

3. Individual Business Plan

Secure revenues by undertaking new seminar events

We will provide some seminars on an on-site basis, offering greater convenience for corporate members and other companies. Also, we are designing a seminar regarding our new guidebook, “Producing Instructions for Use” (provisional title) which will be published in April.

Hold the TC Certification exam in February and July

In 2010, we will hold the TC Certification exam in February and July. We will also start preparing the 1st level (Expert level) exam, which will be administered starting in 2012.
- The 3rd level (Entry level) TW exam has taken root (February and July)
- A new 2nd level (Professional level) MP exam is being implemented (July)
- We will implement a 2nd level (Professional level) DR exam (July)

Publish new guidebook and continue expanding sales of existing titles

In the publishing business, we will expand sales of our new guidebook, “Producing Instructions for Use (provisional title)” which will be published in April. We will also continue sales of our “Style Guide for Japanese Documents,” which was published at the end of July 2009. We will revise “A practical guide to Chinese law and national standards regarding product information” which was published in August, 2008, and expand its sales as well. We aim to build publicity and acquire new members by publishing in-house magazines in an effective way.

Provide new contract services

As a new contract service, we will cooperate with the Overseas Market Committee to provide support for application of GB to user instructions for the Chinese market. We will also cooperate with tekom to contract for evaluations of user instructions for the European market.

Individual Business Plan: Nonprofit Activities

1) TC Symposium

Organization in charge: TC Symposium Committee
Committee chairperson: Satoshi Kuroda, Information System Engineering Inc.
Executive committee: TC Symposium 2010 Executive Committee
Executive committee chairperson: Junki Ito, Fuji Xerox Engineering Co.,
Operating Organization: TC Symposium 2010, Kansai Executive Committee (provisional name)
Kansai Organizing Representative: Toshimasa Yamazaki, Panasonic Corporation (nominated)

Under the theme “The UI-TC connection” (provisional title), we will seek to define the link between TC technology and user interfaces. We will continue to provide content regarding operational, system, and service-related documents. We will report the achievements of cooperation between DITA Consortium Japan and JTCA. Looking ahead to the establishment of the TC Certification 1st level exam, we will undertake a review of human resource issues. We will conduct the Kansai Symposium under the direction of a new Kansai Executive Committee as part of our ongoing program to revamp Symposium administration. We also positively consider exchanges with foreign TC organizations, such as tekom.

2) Japan Manual Awards

Organization in charge: Manual Awards Committee
Committee chairperson: Naoki Tokuda, Passage Co., Ltd.
Executive committee: Manual Contest 2010 Executive Committee
Executive committee chairperson: Masahiro Shimada, Hitachi ICT Business Services, Ltd.

Reflecting evolution in “instructions for use,” we will radically revamp the Japan Manual Awards to enhance participant motivation and to give greater weight to evaluation from a design perspective. These changes are aimed at reversing the recent trend of declining entries.

3) Academic Research / Promotion of Joint Industry-Academia Research

Organization in Charge: Research & Joint Industry-Academia Research Committee
Chairperson: Takamasa Miyoshi, Sony Corporation

Efforts of the following working groups are expected to bear fruit. Further, new research themes and working groups will be established as necessary to advance research needed to carry forward the activities of the JTCA.

3-1. WG to Establish TC Special Education Curriculum / Guidelines

Leader: Takamasa Miyoshi, Sony Corporation
In cooperation with the University of Tsukuba, we will organize a WG of TC specialists, both practical and academic, chosen from JTCA and the University of Tsukuba. Through the WG, we will formulate a standard curriculum for learning skills, as well as clarify the competence of TC specialists in Japan. We will ask for comments on on-going plans both domestically and abroad, and thus aim to improve content.

3-2. Web Communication WG

Leader: Kunio Ohno, Professor of Polytechnic University
We will enhance our partnership with relevant public-interest organizations and educational research institutions, and continue our study of the key technology required for Web publication of our information and standardization research.

4) Foreign Market Activities

Organization in charge: User Instructions and Information Requirements Handling Committee for Export Products (Oversea Market Committee)
Chairperson: Satoshi Kuroda, Information System Engineering, Inc.

We will maintain sales of our guide to the National Standard (GB) for Chinese instructions for use, continue collecting and providing information related to revision of the GB, and support evaluation services for instructions for use in the Chinese market. We will also promote exchanges with groups involved with TC in Europe, and collect and provide information related to localization, user instruction standards (IEC62079, Edition 2) and safety notices for Europe.

5) Promotion of Standardization

Organization in charge: Standardization Committee
Chairperson: Naoki Tokuda  Passage Co., Ltd.

We will continue our cooperation with the Overseas Markets Committee in regard to IEC62079, Edition 2, and provide content in support of seminar events related to IEC62079.

5-1. DITA Study WG

Leader: Satoshi Kuroda, Information System Engineering Inc.

In cooperation with the DITA Consortium Japan, we will consider the scope and requirements for application of DITA to instructions for use, and then work to promulgate this information.

6) Membership Expansion

Responsibility: Board of Directors
Representative: Hiraku Amemiya, Administrative Director

We will strive to expand membership by introducing the business and activities of JTCA and appealing to the benefits of joining. We will also employ media PR and strengthened cooperation with related organizations to expand our name recognition and make a broad appeal of members. We will provide cost breaks to corporate members with regard to TC technology certification fees, seminar tuition, and prices for contract services, and thus encourage individual members to switch to corporate membership.

Individual Business Plans: Revenue-Generating Activities

1) TC Certification Exam

Organization in charge: TC Certificate Committee
Chairperson: Naoko Takahashi, Professor of Kokugakuin University

2) Seminar Business

Organization in charge: Seminar Department
Chairperson: Shigeru Tsuge

We will prepare a standard syllabus mainly about writing skills based on the “Japanese Style Guide”, and will make “on-site seminars” available. We will also review existing step-up seminars, and hold one that reflects the new edition of the TC Certificate Exam-2nd level MP exam. As for introductory seminars, we will ask member companies to make a practice of providing seminars as training for new employees. In producing technical seminars, we will consider requesting cooperation from members who produce software. We will also hold seminars regarding IEC62079 in cooperation with the Standardization Committee.

3) Contract Services

Organization in charge: Contract Services Department
Chairperson: Hiraku Amemiya (concurrent assignment)

Funded research reports for the New Media Development Association will be completed in March 2010. Since no funded research is scheduled in 2010, we will work to develop new contract services, such as support for application of GB to user instructions for the Chinese market in cooperation with Overseas Market Committee, and evaluation of user instructions for the European market in cooperation with tekom.

4) Publishing Business

Organization in charge: Publishing Business Department
Chairperson: Shigeru Tsuge (concurrent assignment)

We will further expand sales by publishing new titles, such as a guidebook for the TC Certificate 2nd level MP exam in April and a new edition of the practical guide to Chinese GB.  We will also continue to expand sales of existing titles, i.e., the Japanese Style Guide and Manual Production Direction. As for in-house magazines, we will establish an publication schedule by the beginning of the year in consultation with the various departments of the JTCA.