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Using existing content saves valuable time and cost, drawing upon successful material created for earlier projects. Why reinvent the wheel?

If content is accurately written from the outset, this efficiency can also extend to future projects. If the content is fully applicable, automated reuse is possible.

Applying or adapting proven wording that helps users and meets company style requirements seems like a sensible approach – but does this apply to Technical Writing?

Our answer … it’s a practical starting point!

The Orchid team uses several systems, such as MadCap Flare, Adobe RoboHelp and Adobe FrameMaker, that allow documentation to be assembled from reusable content.

For example, if a company has a product range with many similar products, it is likely there is common content which is the same in the user manual for each product. For example, this might be a:

• standard safety section,
• description of a common process,
• standard warranty, or
• returns policy. 

Rather than copying and pasting this content between manuals, the content is stored once and tagged. Each product user manual can ‘call in’ that tagged content. Reusable tagged content only needs to be maintained in one place, lowering the amount of document maintenance involved. This process saves time and reduces the potential for error.

Tags can also be conditional. For example, tailored products often involve several product options. The user manual can conditionally call in the tagged text for each of the selected options. This allows fast creation of a bespoke manual for the tailored product meeting style requirements (vocabulary and presentation).

Seamlessly applying current content

A central, maintained knowledge library of reusable, tagged content ensures documents use the current version of key, approved information. The process of applying reusable information relies on accurate details being available and efficient creation and application of tags. This is especially important when documents reference each other.

 By working with professional Technical Writers, you are assured of the consistency and efficiency needed when re-using existing content. Investing in an effective way of storing and retrieving information facilitates efficiency. A long-term working relationship with Technical Writers ensures consistency and accuracy in using that system to retrieve reusable content for new documentation.   

Would you like to discuss how the professional application of reusable content can add value to your organisation? Contact the technical writing experts at Orchid … let’s explore the possibilities.

AI is taking the world by storm, seemingly impacting every aspect of our lives. Undoubtedly it offers huge advantages by quickly offering answers, ideas and images that have been assimilated from information sources from across the internet. A genuine concern is its potential to replace humans in some roles. Is this true of technical writing?

AI can generate well-informed research and craft all forms of content. With some versions, you can dictate the tone of voice and writing style needed. You can instruct which terms or phrases you would like included or excluded. On the surface, this appears to tick the boxes needed for technical writing. But how truly helpful would AI-generated technical documentation be?

In truth, a professional technical writer offers a more effective solution than AI. Fact.

Key to the success of technical writing is consistency, clarity and content. How does a human technical writer outperform AI in these important aspects?

• Consistency – AI is helpful in restructuring information and offering consistent formatting. It’s useful to produce succinct writing, distilling a writer’s text into a more concise version. Best of all, it can achieve consistency across a great number of documents very quickly. The unique edge of a technical writer is applying consistency with other technical publications within the company’s processes or product range.
• Clarity – a technical writer excels at knowing how to convey a complex message to users with total clarity. This includes using relevant language appropriate to the end user, incorporating or removing industry jargon and internal terminology as needed. They signpost users to supporting content as needed such as videos, exploded parts diagrams or illustrations. AI does not have this additional awareness and knowledge. How does it know what makes sense to the reader?
• Content – AI generates responses using information already available online. Creating truly original and directly relevant content requires the skill of a professional technical writer. Time is taken to understand the purpose and range of the technical writing required. In addition, a technical writer has a direct understanding of the process involved, ensuring accuracy. By accessing existing details, AI offers incorrect as well as accurate writing. It can’t check its work for factual accuracy.

Another point …

• Compliance – a professional technical writer takes time to understand the guidance and standards that are relevant, such as health and safety and quality control. Applying this knowledge is crucial to the success of the technical writing involved.

In summary, AI is a useful tool and offers some time saving qualities to support a technical writer. However, it simply can’t replace a technical writer … yet.

Would you value tailored technical writing for your products or processes? Talk to the experts at Orchid. Arrange an initial discussion without obligation. Discover a professional technical writer’s winning edge over AI.

Technical writing requires the communication of technical information and processes succinctly, accurately and clearly. While this can involve technical detail and step-by-step instructions, the success of each technical writing project has another hugely influential factor … humans.

When working on a technical writing project, the Orchid team takes time to talk to clients. It’s vital to ask key questions. The authoring team needs to know the processes and/or the product involved and what issues must be addressed in the technical documentation requested. Crucially it isn’t just what needs to be communicated that’s involved. We must understand how the messages should be expressed for optimum efficiency and user experience. Then, we can carefully prepare our draft document.

Communicating technical messages involves creating templates, word lists for correct terminology, presentation styles and standards. Drawing options are also considered, such as illustrations, exploded parts diagrams and graphics. Online material may include animation or video (especially valuable within e-Learning solutions).

Once these standards have been established and approved, they can be applied across several technical documents for consistency throughout the organisation.

The learning curve bringing the authoring team to this point involves time and careful communication. These elements add value and quality to the resulting technical documentation. Having reached this understanding and knowledge, the authoring team can react more quickly to future client requirements. It’s also fair to say that communication becomes more effective as styles and preferred methods are known. Some people prefer to meet, others are happy to talk online, for example. Once the authoring team is familiar with the product vocabulary involved, discussions take less time.

At Orchid, we value the long standing relationships we have with many of our clients. We are happy to write a ‘one-off’ technical document. However, ongoing work undoubtedly improves communication and saves time due to existing knowledge.

A strong, ongoing working relationship with clients helps us to:

These efficiencies enable each project to become more cost effective, offering potential savings to clients.

The presentation, accuracy and effectiveness of the technical writing are crucial, however human communication is also vital to success. Ongoing client relationships streamline this potential.

Contact the Orchid team without obligation. We’ve been writing technical user guides for over 30 years, working with a wide range of clients, often for many years. Let’s explore the best solutions for your organisation.

If you’ve used a user guide to assemble a product, you’ve probably seen an exploded parts diagram.

An exploded parts diagram or illustration is a visual representation of the individual components of a mechanical or technical object. It offers a separated display, with the various parts of the object illustrated outside their normal assembled position.

The purpose of an exploded parts diagram is to provide a clear and detailed view of how the different components fit together to form the complete object. They often include lines showing where each component is usually placed, demonstrating the spatial relationships of connecting parts.

This type of diagram is commonly used in technical documentation, such as user manuals, assembly instructions, repair guides, and engineering drawings. The Orchid team often creates exploded parts illustrations to support technical writing for clients’ documentation. 

• Individual Components: Each part of the object is shown separately, usually with unique identification such as a specific number or letter. Identification is helpful for reordering of parts during servicing or repair, for example.
• Spatial Relationships: Exploded parts diagrams show where each component is usually placed, the parts it connects with and its spatial relationships with these connecting parts.
• Accurate Product Representation: The diagram is designed to be easily understandable, allowing users or technicians to see the internal structure of the object and how parts interact without disassembling it. (Some parts of the product may not be visible before disassembly.)
• Assembly Instructions: Exploded parts diagrams are commonly used to guide users through the process of assembling or disassembling a product (using the unique reference of each component).
• Technical Details: The exploded parts illustration may include additional technical details, such as part numbers, materials, and other relevant information.
• User-Friendly Design: Exploded views are often created with a user-friendly design, making them accessible to a wide audience, including individuals who may not have a deep technical background. This is where the Orchid team excels!

These diagrams are particularly useful in fields such as engineering, manufacturing, and product design. The Orchid team has designed exploded parts diagrams for clients in industrial tooling, consumer products, military aviation and many more sectors.

Five ways to use exploded parts illustrations

The Orchid team can produce exploded parts illustrations using a variety of formats. Organisations may choose from traditional line illustrations with simple 2D plan views to complex 3D perspective views in a digital format ready to print. Software-based solutions offer a ‘click & explode’ option. This is especially helpful in showing the internal structure of a product.

To discover the options and the best format for your organisation’s product, talk to the team at Orchid. We have vast experience in creating practical, easy-to-use exploded parts diagrams using drawing, software and automation for a wide variety of industries. Contact us without obligation.

Arrival at clients’ premises often involves an induction process. The Orchid team has experienced many safety inductions, some paper-based and others online. Our director, Keith Glanville, outlines what was involved with two visits, one involving eLearning and the other using a paper-based approach.

We thought we’d share Keith’s experience, as these first-hand stories illustrate the impact of eLearning, or CBT, upon people and processes.

Keith visited a large site where waste material was processed. He needed to update some operating procedures and be able to walk around the site unaccompanied.

On arrival, and already wearing PPE, Keith was shown to a portable cabin where he was asked to wait until the person conducting safety inductions arrived. After half an hour, they arrived with an old binder containing plastic wallets and some Question and Answer papers.

Keith says: “I was taken through the faded content of several slightly soiled and dog-eared plastic wallets, containing training sheets on PPE, fire alarms, assembly areas and more topics. After reading the content, I was asked to complete a Question and Answer sheet. It was a multi-choice sheet and took ten minutes to finish. Half an hour later, the safety induction person reappeared. He graded my paper – I passed! I was asked to sign the conditions on the form and issued with my site pass. My form was dropped into an overflowing basket on the desk.”

Whilst this induction process achieved the overall objective, it was cumbersome and time consuming.

Keith visited a large manufacturing site to obtain machine maintenance information. Before the visit, he received a link to their online induction system. Creating his account took just a few minutes. The next step was to complete the training.

“The online training involved well-presented informational screens,“ explains Keith. “Scenarios followed each section using videos and animations. I was asked to confirm what action would be the best in each situation. As I answered the questions, the system offered advice on what would have been the recommended action. I could leave the training and return to it later. The software recorded my position, so I carried on from where I’d left off.”

After completing the training, Keith completed an interactive test. On reaching the pass requirement, he received a certificate via email. This was presented at the start of the site visit. He was invited to refresh his training as necessary.

This induction process offered flexibility and convenience alongside automated assessment recording.

Both scenarios reflect a real experience. Each approach achieved the overall objective of completing a safety induction for a site visit. However, the second experience offered distinct advantages:

• The online training was consistent, informative and engaging.
• Keith could complete the training in his own time before arriving on site.
• No extra time was needed upon arrival – from Keith or a company employee.
• The eLearning system maintained a record of the training for future use.
• The eLearning system had the facility to be revisited.
• Email reminders could be issued when necessary.

Orchid can help ensure your safety inductions have flexibility, consistency and engagement by creating a well-presented eLearning solution. This is also known as Computer Based Training (CBT) and offers scalability and compliance benefits (read more).

To discuss how eLearning can optimise your organisation’s induction and training processes, contact the friendly experts at Orchid without obligation.

Product user guides play a crucial role in ensuring users can effectively and safely use a product. This technical writing can be created for customers and/or internal use (employees).

They bridge the gap between the manufacturer’s knowledge and the users’ understanding, contributing to a positive user experience and minimising potential issues.

Typically, the following sections are included within user guides:

• Title – with a product identification image
• Safety section
• Product overview – key components
• Product description – function, features & benefits, any controls & indicators
• Normal operation / Instructions for use
• Maintenance (and cleaning) / Spare parts
• Warranty, certification and manufacturer’s information
• Servicing & support

The above user guide sections are adjusted to suit the product, users and organisation involved. The best user guide results involve the support of technical writing experts.

Would your organisation benefit from professionally written user guides?

Contact the Orchid team without obligation. We’ve been writing technical user guides for over 30 years within a wide range of sectors. Let’s explore the best solutions for your organisation.