Some Insight Into Technical Documentation
Gaining some insight into technical documentation can help you better understand the whole process of manufacturing. This type of documentation will follow the product throughout it’s life until it reaches the end-user, who is the consumer. The language actually evolves as the product itself evolves. It tells the next handler what was done before and how to handle the product in the form it’s in at the moment. For the consumer, this means at the stage of the use for which it was intended.
The documentation includes any test methods involved, as well as some of the manufacturing standards. It can be used for describing patents, or for citing any specifications that pertain to the product. Things such as ‘data sheets’ or ‘quality management system requirements’ can also be found in this type of documentation. It can lay out rules or lay out regulations along with any validations or special verifications.
When it comes to manufacturing a product, the documentation’s role is very significant. Dealing with system requirements is a big issue. So is dealing with design and architecture. The whole system of this documentation is designed and geared toward the consumer. It is for his/her benefit, and for anyone who may need to perform any maintenance with the product.
When you begin to understand the workings of technical documentation, you gain a whole new appreciation for technical writers and for the manufacturing process. The technical writer has ‘one’ goal in mind, and that is, to take the formalized language used during product manufacturing, and break it down into a language that can be easily understood by the consumer and maintenance individuals.
It’s a great way to save a lot of innovative ideas. This technical language when the writers are finished, is easily understood by the consumer. But if it’s not easily understood, then the consumer will shy away from it, and the acceptance of the product will suffer. The writers use an approach known termed ‘user-centric’, which means keeping their writing focused on the consumer rather than on the product itself.
There are many forms in which the documentation may appear. It could be a manual, or sometimes it can be procedures and handling specifications. Other times it can be in tutorial form and simply some instructions. It can be designed to work with various types of equipment, from software to vacuum cleaners.
What the technical writer achieves, is to put down a writing language that will enable the end-user to very easily understand what’s involved with having and utilizing the new product. One good example is like a man who buys a new television remote control, and reads the documentation that accompanies that product. Or someone who purchases a new software and needs to know certain specifics about running and maintaining it.
When we gain some insight into technical documentation, we gain insight into a process that we deal with nearly each and every day of our lives. It’s all around us, and still many never stop to think about it and realize all that goes into it, and all that we gain from it. But it’s a fascinating topic of study for those whose interest has been peaked. There is much information online, and there for the taking.
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