You ask the documentation service provider whether they are qualified and have the time to handle your project.

To make a bid, the documentation service provider will mostly need some more detailed information which can best be given in a short telephone or personal conversation. To prepare this, it is helpful if you can provide some information about your product in advance (such as specifications, sales material, demo versions, etc.). If existing documents are to be completed or updated, the service provider will also need the possibility to take a look at these documents.

Documentation service providers will usually base their offers on a preliminary time estimate. With larger projects there typically several approaches to a solution. Often, it can only be determined as a result of an in-depth target group analysis which one of the alternatives is the most recommendable one.

Only after you have decided on a specific alternative the cost of authoring and implementation can be calculated reliably and in detail. For this reason, many offers are split into two phases: concept and authoring.

It is a good idea to accept the bid only for the concept at first. This leaves you an option to back out and change the contractor in case you are not fully satisfied with their work. Also, after the concept has been agreed upon you can ask for a much more detailed and reliable offer for the authoring phase.

In either case you should name one or more persons within your company who are qualified to answer questions about your product, its users and their goals.

If your project involves creation of new documentation from scratch, the first step of your documentation service provider will be to work out a documentation plan (also refer to section "Do you need a documentation plan at all?" in topic Design of New Documentation).

If possible, the concept should be presented and discussed personally. It is important that this discussion involves your product experts as well as product management and all authors who will have to implement the concept.

Your documentation service provider will now begin authoring and finally presents the results for review and approval.

If possible, you should plan the project so that completed parts get reviewed immediately. This shortens the "throughput time" of your project and lets you identify and counteract any systematic, recurring problems early. However, please do not ask your documentation service provider to hand over parts that are not yet final. This would only result in extra work on both sides.

It is good practice to split the review task:

The documentation service provider implements what was decided as a result of the review, and delivers the printer's copy or the distributable online help files.

Your final approval completes the documentation project.