In today's information society, it is essential to have access to information that assists us in doing our daily jobs effectively. When society is driven by complex information technology, well-documented system information is especially essential.

We have all encountered a time when such information is lacking. We get extremely frustrated when we can't find the information we need in a hurry or there is no help at all or the instructions that are available is incomplete. As a result, poorly-written documentation will become costly.

Never regard your documentation as an expense, but as a cost-saving device! So, what you really want to achieve must support your software objectives.



Satisfied users

The end-user experience is more successful when you have high-quality written materials. Poor or non-existent user manuals will alienate your customers, inadequate on-line help wastes a user's valuable time and support that is not available immediately, or slow in coming, will frustrate your customers. As a result, your software brand suffers.

Support

Good documentation will reduce your support costs. Every solution that your user finds in the user guide or online help means one less call or email to your support desk. Your support team can then concentrate on finding answers to real problems, rather than explaining to a customer how to operate a computer program.

Longevity

Your products will attain longevity. Clearly written instructions can prevent customer errors and make business processes more reliable. The sooner your customer gains benefit from your product the longer they will use it and not be hindered by it. As a result, your software brand benefits.

Sales

Improved sales result from the availability of easy-to-use product information. As a result, agreement is reached on system functionality between IT staff and client business departments thus finalising system and user documentation.

Usability

Free usability testing of your software product. The process of documenting a software application can also reveal functional and UX problems and lead to their correction. To produce complete user documentation all options of a software system is essentially tested at a presentation and usability level.