Accurate technical documentation is not only very beneficial to the company, but also benefits customers. Since how the product is used to some extent, it is necessary to rely on technical documentation, so technical documentation must be very accurate and reliable. The use of inaccurate and outdated technical documents will have certain obstacles for the development of the company. Similarly, it will also have a negative impact on the company's customers. Once the client finds a problem when they use the product, they can't solve it by resolving the technical documentation with the product, the customers will have doubts about this product and even the confidence, then the company's reputation And the benefits naturally will be damaged. This is the harm that is incorrect and outdated by our technical documentation.
The lack of accuracy and the content is difficult to understand will make the newcomers and other technical workers respect these technical documents, which is not conducive to their learning and master. In this article, we have to discuss how to write accurate and easy-to-master technical documents in your development team.
Tip 1: Develop a technical evaluation checklist, a lot of program development designers and managers lack experience from a technical review of a document. There are some ways to improve the accuracy of these technical documents:
Taking care is concentrated in the fact that these techniques are written as technical documents. The work of technology comments is not equivalent to the general editing. Be sure to verify the accuracy of procedures and steps written in technical documents in technology. Be sure to verify the accuracy of the image captured in the technical documentation in technology. Skill 2: Be sure to clarify the technical documentation in the process of technical documentation, a reason for the technical documentation is often because it is not enough attention to it. This is because there is no very clear responsibility when writing technical documents. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify responsibility in the process of technical documentation, including:
Add the author and the name of the relevant personnel in technical documentation. Some companies may have provisions, prohibiting employees' names, but in technical documents include the authorities and relevant person's names can promote communication between these internal employees. For external document users, such as user guides prepared for commercial spot software, you can join the author and the name of the relevant personnel to clarify and recognize their work and contribution to development. The technical reviews of documents are part of the annual commentary to develop designers. Assign a special person responsible for technical reviews in the project plan.
Skills 3: Increase the accuracy of the technical document editor, due to the technical documentation writer is a very subjective position in many companies, and writing technical documents is their most important responsibility, so people who do these work must be with them The accuracy of the technical documentation prepared has a direct interest relationship.
Managers should set the appropriate technical accuracy level for technical documentation, and ask them to keep accuracy within this range. Since some technical documentation writers are always less active for improving their understanding of their technology, increase their responsibility to facing more stress for every person in the project. If a technical document editor cannot reach a higher standard, then you need to re-examine whether your technical document writer can meet your team's strategic requirements, can you meet the needs of our customers?
In order to help technical documentation, you need to make them a deeper understanding of specific technology, so as managers, you should:
Let technical documentation writers participated in group meetings about product design and development. Let technical documentation writers participate in technical requirements, functional specifications, and development of design programs. Put the technical document editor includes in the mailing list of the development team. The cycle prepared by this technical documentation and releases the product within the company. Technical document writers are easy to become very close, but if you first publish the product, you can provide a new way to developers and project managers to learn about what you are not easy to understand. Encourage technical documentation writers more to learn more about the various techniques that are included behind the product. For example, if you develop Java language-based applications, you should encourage technical documentation writers to learn about the Java programming language and try to keep them smoothly in this programming language. Skills 4: Setting the priorities of the task Usually, the main development and designers have information about the entire project, and sometimes many other items will be considered at the same time. Even if he or her schedule is very nervous, the product information in their minds is very important for ensuring the accuracy of technical documentation. The current situation allows us to complete more tasks with fewer resources, and as developing designers, these people are always in a state of tension because of their special nature of their work. Here are some techniques that can help you get the information you need from these busy development designers, and ensure that their knowledge will be beneficial to the technical documentation:
Don't let them review the technical document from the head. And the writer of the technical documentation to determine which part must let the development and designers review. Use them to use the full time to review the technical documentation. If the reviewer schedule of the technical documentation is tight, then give him a specific list, which part you need him to review. And ensure that other members within the group complete the remainder of the review. Particularly related to the technical field of the reviewer in technical documents is definitely the need for careful review. Better completing the review of the review work, the review of technical documents will not only benefit external users, but also benefit internal users. However, there will often be technicians who think that doing this work is not much, then, as managers face such a challenge, it is to set priorities throughout the review process to ensure the development of work. The effort to have succeeded.
