A global leader in healthcare technologies hired me to create and update the operations guide, interface guides, end user guides, training materials, online help and technical documents.

The most critical document was a drug dispensing guide for nurses.

Challenges

• The audience was frustrated because they couldn't find important information.
• Critical information was either missing or outdated.
• Several screens were outdated.
• The audience found the screens hard to understand.
• Content was scattered in many documents.
• I had to rewrite the document as the software was being developed.
• Developers were on the critical path so it was hard to get their time.
• Specifications were not written clearly.

Solution

I did the following to help the client:

• Performed audience analysis by asking Who is the audience? What do they need to know? What is their computer expertise? When do they need to use the application? Where are they using the touch screen application? Why do they need to use it?
• Structured the text in a task-oriented manner to help the audience find How-To information more easily
• Asked subject matter experts knowledge-based questions to gather missing information
• Included callouts on complicated screens so the audience can understand them more easily
• Analyzed the handheld specifications, release notes and user logs to verify if any information was pertinent since there were commonalities between the touch screen and handheld application – a huge time-saver when writing to future developments
• Translated highly technical jargon into plain language so the audience can understand the content quickly
• Coordinated reviews to ensure the content was accurate and complete

Result

I understood what the nurses needed in the guide, and wrote it appropriately to their needs – clear, concise and correct. This saved the nurses time from having to figure out what the content means while caring for patients.

The work was rated as excellent, and got rave reviews from management as well as the legal and regulatory departments.

A solution provider hired me to revamp an operations guide.

Challenges

• The audience was very frustrated because the document was hard to read and understand.
• Content was stored in different places.
• Content was not written clearly.
• Content included information the audience didn't need.
• The document was unattractive and no one wanted to read it.
• The formatting was loud and inconsistent, which made the document look very confusing.
• Screens were untidy and blown out of proportion.
• All the diagrams had crooked arrows.
• The time constraint was very tight – Had only a few weeks to restructure a 250 page guide.

Solution

I did the following to help the client:

• Performed audience analysis by asking Who is the audience? What do they need to know? What is their expertise? When will they carry out their tasks? Why do they need to use the application?
• Restructured the content to make it attractive
• Used a simple, clean font for the body text and headings so the reader can find information more easily
• Used only one format for bullets and sub-bullets, rather than crazy looking arrows and circles
• Tidied the screens by cropping crooked edges and reducing them to a reasonable size in order to make the guide more manageable
• Ensured that all the parts of the diagrams lined up properly and the arrows pointed to the right places so the reader can understand the concept illustrated

Result

The client breathed a sigh of relief because the content was much more readable and easy to use. I saved their target audience time, money and frustration.

A major company needed to update highly technical documentation for 30 subsystems – and they needed it fast!

Challenges

• Management wasn't sure whether to use Word or FrameMaker to develop the documentation.
• Content was stored in different locations and written by different people.
• Important content was missing.
• Existing content was outdated and formatted inconsistently.
• Several manually drawn diagrams needed to be included in the documentation.
• The subject matter experts were stressed out and on a critical path for deliverables so their time was at a premium.
• Several screens needed to be captured from the mainframe system.
• The content had to be structured properly so the documentation department can post it on the company's intranet.

Solution

I did the following to help the client:

• Performed audience analysis by asking Who is the audience? What do they need to know? What is their expertise? Why do they need to use the system?
• Developed one chapter of the guide in Word and another in FrameMaker to show management that FrameMaker was the more appropriate tool for their project
• Gathered all the content from different locations to incorporate it in the documents
• Interviewed subject matter experts to gather missing information and update content
• Made the formatting consistent to present the information more attractively for the audience
• Rewrote the content so it had one voice
• Produced the diagrams in Visio to illustrate concepts that were hard to explain in words
• Incorporated screen captures so the audience can understand how to use the system
• Prepared an index for each guide so the audience can find information quickly
• Coordinated reviews with technical staff to ensure the content was accurate and complete
• Coordinated reviews with documentation staff to ensure the content met corporate standards
• Tracked the progress for each document to keep management up to date on completed milestones

Result

Eureka! I updated 30 documents – totaling over 1400 pages – on time and on budget. The client was relieved and very happy with the quality of writing and professionalism.

A major company needed to update and write governance documentation such as policies, technical security standards, technical security processes, technical security guidelines and executive summaries.

The technology security standards were critical because they explained how to secure information so it does not get in the wrong hands.

Challenges

• Some content was either missing or out of date.
• Accuracy was critical to protect the company from unnecessary expense or embarrassment. If I documented a recommendation or guideline as a mandatory standard, the department would have spent money on implementing technology that is not critical to securing private information. However, if I documented a mandatory standard as a recommendation or guideline, the department would have experienced an embarrassing security compromise because critical technology would not have been implemented.
• The security analysts were stressed out and on a critical path to implement the technology to comply with standards so their time was at a premium.

Solution

I did the following to help the client:

• Performed audience analysis by asking Who needs to follow the standard? What is their technical background? Is the standard mandatory, recommended or a guideline? Why do they have to comply?
• Researched important concepts so that I ask the subject matter experts knowledge-based questions, thus saving them time from having to explain the basics
• Met with subject matter experts to analyze whether the standard is mandatory, a recommendation, or a guideline
• Translated highly technical jargon into plain language so the audience can understand the standards quickly
• Edited the standards and ensured they were formatted correctly
• Presented the standards to subject matter experts and management to get timely input
• Coordinated technical reviews to ensure the standards were accurate and complete
• Coordinated documentation reviews to ensure the standards complied with the corporate style

Result

The client was satisfied with the work because the standards were accurate and complete. By taking great care to work with the experts to analyze the standards correctly, I helped saved the company money by avoiding unnecessary, expensive implementations, and protected them from embarrassing security compromises.

Call me to book a complimentary appointment to discuss how I can help you succeed in your next project.