Company management might say “We employ designers, engineers, programmers and technicians who are experts in their fields. They have specialist knowledge and each one knows our processes and products thoroughly. Surely this makes them the best people to write our manuals or procedures?”
We hear this often!
The reality is that yes, your people are experts and professionals in their field. However, they are used to writing with an assumed knowledge … for their peers. When writing product manuals or operating procedures, an entirely different audience is involved: users or operators. Users and operators inevitably know far less about the processes and products than the designers, engineers, programmers, and technicians. They need a manual that is written for them so that they might understand and use the product, or follow the process, effectively.
This is one aspect where a Technical Writing Company can help. In addition, there are several other advantages for both your users and your company. These are discussed below…
So, how can a Technical Writing Company Help?
It’s better for the users or operators…
1. Improved Understanding and Efficiency
A good Technical Writing Company produces well-written ‘user-friendly’ documents that can make complex products or processes easier to grasp for your intended audience. This aids understanding and improves efficiency by reducing delays that are due to user or operator error.
2. Improved Information Finding
Technical documents should be simply and logically structured, with content that is clearly presented and indexed. This makes it quicker and easier to find the required information, shortening learning periods. Professional Technical Writers are proficient in producing manuals or procedures that achieve this level of quality.
3. Improved Information Accessibility
As well as writing your technical documents, you may need them to be produced in different formats and languages. This ensures your content is more accessible to people with different needs. This support may be particularly relevant to those users or operators who don’t have English as their first language or perhaps need to access the information online.
And, it’s better for you…
1. Better Use of Resources
Outsourcing to a Technical Writing Company allows your employees to concentrate on their core responsibilities. Technical documents take time to write! So, you must ask yourself, do your employees have the extra time required? Outsourcing to a Technical Writing Company relieves this pressure.
2. Raised Quality Bar
A Technical Writing Company will enhance the quality of your technical documents, whether intended for internal or external use, by ensuring:
- consistency across all technical documents,
- clear document navigation,
- logical document structure,
- use of language tailored to the end user,
- information and data organised logically,
- all documents are written using instructional language and plain English, and professional presentation incorporating the required company branding.
3. Improved Document Creation Efficiency
A Technical Writing Company will have produced many documents and will therefore have in-depth experience in the document creation and update process. There is a ‘get it right first-time’ approach’ and this can provide future savings in both maintaining existing documents and the production of new or additional documents.
4. Reduced Support Costs
Your users rely upon documentation that is easily understood and followed. Consequently, having manuals that are professionally written for the intended audience can mean that there is a reduction in support costs.
5. Retained Knowledge and Value
When key staff leave your company, it is your documentation that new staff will look towards for instruction and guidance. A good Technical Writing Company can be invaluable in extracting and documenting information from key staff. There is an additional benefit that there is a tangible cost benefit in having this information documented, particularly if a business unit is to be marketed and sold.
6. Better Standards Compliance
A professional Technical Writing Company provides expertise in producing technical documents where there are industry-specific standards or best practices. This ensures the specific requirements of an industry sector are met effectively.
7. Improved Customer Satisfaction
Manuals or procedures produced by a Technical Writing Company enable your customers to find the answers they need without any need to contact your customer service facility. This positive customer experience leads to trust, loyalty, and repeat business, as well as referrals to other potential customers.
Do you have products or processes requiring Technical Writing?
Would you like your products or your business or industrial processes to be more consistent and easier to understand?
Orchid’s experienced technical authors and illustrators produce technical documentation for a wide variety of products and industries. Contact the team at Orchid without obligation.
