Writing the wrongs of user and operations manuals

We may not be writing on stone tablets anymore, but the skill and value of the “scribe” still plays an important role in delivering usable documentation.

 Anyone can write a user or operations manual - right? Not quite. In the past, it seemed that writing the documentation for a project was placed on the shoulders of more junior staff, or for the project team themselves to find some time near the completion of the project to get something that looked remotely like a manual to the user or customer.

Unused operations manuals are a liability as they provide the illusion that employees know what to date.

Today, good management teams know and understand the value a documentation specialist adds by providing quality, structured, well-written user information. Documentation requires just as much analysis and planning as other areas of a business, and as such, needs to be managed carefully.

Usability requirements also dictate how a document should be constructed, and identifying the user’s needs is paramount to the success of the overall value the documentation adds to an organisation. Is the aim to provide only hardcopy manuals, or documentation available for an online intranet or Help format? Utilising technology to communicate an organisations’ message can work effectively only if the proper foundation has been laid by documentation specialists.

How effective are your operations and user manuals in helping unlock your staffs’ productivity to drive profitability?

David Stafford 

David Stafford is an Executive Consultant at DC Strategy.

DC Strategy is the region’s leading specialist consulting and legal firm. Our specialist teams in Strategy, Franchising, International and Legal have developed the networks and brands of many of the region’s most successful businesses. Contact David Stafford at david.stafford@dcstrategy.com