Documentation for a software solution
Context
- Leader Company: IGDoc
- Partner company(ies): NeoDoc
- Name of customer: Confidential
- Area of business: Energy
- Duration of project: May 2019 - September 2020
- End user of the solution (end user): technicians, users of the software package
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Customer needs:
- Producing operating, installation, use and training manuals for a software package developed in-house
- Testing a structured writing software tool:
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Services offered:
- Support in the implementation of the structured writing tool
- Making available a comprehensive standard summary library for a software package
- Operating manual for systems operators and applications administrators
- Architecture file for applications developers and infrastructure architects
- Translation FR to EN
Methodology
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Method used:
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Description of the method:
- Expert IT IGDoc–technical writer pairs confirmed for the production of 9 deliverables
- Service provided in Agile mode for ten sprints with weekly workshops with customer experts
- Support and advice relative to the documentary library expected by end users
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Ressources allocated (number and function - internal or customer resource):
- senior IGDoc technical writer
- IGDoc IT expert
- IGDoc Project Manager
- Neodoc Project Manager
- Neodoc developer
- 4 customer technical experts
- 1 User Group
- User groups/workshops required: about one weekly work group of 2-6 hours required as well as specific workshops with the users
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Tools used:
- Calenco
- Memsource (translation)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (for diagrams)
- Gimp or Paint (image editing)
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Deliverables:
- Producing operating, installation, use and training manuals for a software package developed in-house
Benefits
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Costs (ROI):
- Initial investment by customer to define style sheets, amortised with the volume of documents produced
- Long-term productivity gains, once the new method has been implemented (technical writer + tool)
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Deadline:
- Involvement of an IT expert to liaise between the technical writer and the business area expert: time savings in allocation and integration of technical data
- Time saved by experts who no longer have to spend time producing documents
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Quality:
- Multimedia, multi-lingual documentation to meet user needs
- High quality structuring, writing and illustrations
- Formats suited to media used (contextual help, interactive PDF)
- Reduction in user information requests addressed to experts
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Safety:
- A XML tool in line with the safety requirements of a French public-service company (EPIC) managing projects with a high level of confidentiality
- Coherence and control of content
- Reliability and standardization of terminology
- Reduced risk of error thanks to test procedures