About Our Documentation Services 

The role we play in developing effective, usable documentation varies from client to client. For some companies we are their virtual technical writing department, on call throughout the year for updates to existing documents and development of new ones. For other companies, we support their staff writers, through editing services, conversion from one technology to another, or overload work. Sometimes we set the standards, sometimes we conform to the standards set by our clients. Flexibility is the key to our long-term relationships with clients.

Because of our focus on the software community, we often develop documentation alongside product development. We have years of experience with development's fast-paced, regularly-changing environment. In fact, we play more than just a documentation role in development, but often act as informal usability testers of the software, passing back comments on its usability and consistency.

As a technical communications firm, we've worked with companies in a variety of technology markets. We've developed user guides, reference guides, installation guides, quick reference cards, Windows Help, HTML Help, PDF manuals, and HTML manuals for a variety of products, including:

• commercial off-the-shelf software
• tools for specialized audiences (such as electrical engineers, software developers, and health professionals)
• Web development tools
• e-commerce systems
• workflow management tools
• enterprise wide solutions.

 

About Our Consulting Services 

Do you need some assurance that your documents are the best they can be? Do you feel you're re-inventing the wheel with each new project? Our documentation audit can help. We offer an external, professional assessment of your existing documents and the processes you use to create them. We will assess your requirements, identify areas in which your documentation excels, suggest areas for improvement, and help you choose the most appropriate solution. Our strategies for a documentation audit are based on established principles of good documentation, balanced with considerations of time, budget and human resources.

A documentation audit is useful regardless of who currently produces your documentation. If your documents are produced in-house, the documentation audit can provide a valuable benchmark and planning tool for your writers. If you deal primarily with outsourced documentation suppliers, the documentation audit provides an additional check on the quality of the work, plus sets out guidelines that could be used to direct your suppliers on future projects. As a result of the audit, you receive a detailed report that sets out a range of options. Suggestions are made in a fair and nonjudgmental fashion and are tailored to your environment, your products, your market, and your audience. Together we can develop a cost-effective, dynamic plan for improving your documentation.

 

Operating Systems & Software We Use 

Our technical communicators are experienced in using various operating systems and software, including:

• Windows 95, Windows NT, Macintosh and UNIX platforms
• Windows Help authoring tools, such as RoboHelp and ForeHelp
• Desktop publishing and layout tools, such as FrameMaker, PageMaker, and Ventura Publisher
• Word processing tools and business tools, including Microsoft Word and the Microsoft Office suite
• Graphics packages such as Visio, PaintShop and Illustrator
• An assortment of HTML authoring tools.

 

Our Documentation Approach 

Developing documentation involves several stages. We can develop your documentation from beginning to end, or we can work together with your staff to complete a project already in progress.

Project Stage		Steps Involved
Planning and Preparation		Advise what software tools are most appropriate.  Develop audience profiles.  Analyze tasks performed with the product.  Design the information content of documents.  Set the groundwork for design and content standards.  Set timelines and the responsibilities for those involved in the various stages of the project.  Develop a strategy for handling information applicable to more than one document.  Develop a strategy for the intersection of print and online documents.
Writing, Revising, and Designing		Work with content experts who review our work for technical accuracy, or supervise the work of staff writers.  Identify topics for the index.  Develop a quality assurance checklist.
Production		Set up testing strategies for online documentation.  Work with your printer to ensure smooth print production.
Post-Production		Develop training strategies for improving the skills of your writers.  Lead a post-mortem on the project to discuss what we can learn from the experience and apply to future projects.