Historically, documentation was the responsibility of the Engineering department. The task often fell to junior staff members or others who could be spared to comply with the company's contractual requirements.
The customer support that documentation provides was written on an as-required basis by harried personnel. Engineers, developers or other technicians who undertook documentation often did so begrudgingly, seeing it as a distraction from their main rôles in development and production.
Understandably, authors write for their peers. In this situation, however, peers were both technically conversant and usually already familiar with the product.
This process often produced a document that frustrated the user and bogged the Engineering department with customer calls for support.
Poor documentation creates customer frustration.
Wordy, incomplete or vague documentation results in customers being unable to use your product quickly or efficiently.
Customers perceive poorly-documented products as difficult-to-use or inadequate. Quite rightly, they also view poor documentation as a lack of commitment to customer support. The inevitable result is a loss of sales.
The competitive marketplace has forced the re-evaluation of customer documentation.
Driven by the bottom line, documentation has become a marketing tool.
Modern Marketing/Sales departments realize the importance of a 'value-added product.'
A value-added product gives the customer more than the product itself. In the case of a good user manual or thorough, easily-navigated online help system, it facilitates customers using your product quickly to its full potential.
The faster and more efficiently customers use your product, the more your reputation improves within the industry. As your reputation improves, so do your sales.
Modern documentation supports both Engineering and Marketing/Sales.
Modern documentation focuses on presenting the all aspects of your product in a meaningful, usable manner.
To be meaningful, documentation targets your product's functionality and capabilities. Although it presents your product in the best possible light, meaningful documentation does not include marketing hyperbole.
To be usable, documentation speaks to readers at their level of understanding. Although it describes your product thoroughly, usable documentation does not include unexplained technical terms.
Good customer documentation:
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