If you ask 10 different people what their most valuable office resource is, you’ll get a wide range of answers.
Some may say their assistant is their best office resource while others cite fax machines, Internet servers and Palm Pilots.
Odds are that not a single person will mention the user’s guides that come with their computers, software or other office equipment. The simple reality is most technical documentation is often pretty useless because it is poorly written and it confuses end users more than it helps them. Things don’t have to be this way. In fact, when technical documentation is well developed it can save businesses a great deal of time and money.
Good user’s manuals can be an office’s most valuable resource. Unfortunately, many office equipment manufacturers skimp on the technical documentation and produce manuals that frustrate employees. More importantly, they cost the business countless dollars and minimize the productivity of office equipment.
When technical documentation is poorly produced, employees spend four times as long to figure out how to use the office equipment by trial and error. Many workers simply learn the bare bones necessities to perform their jobs, and do not use the time-saving features that new equipment offers.
Offices that upgrade their equipment are wise to do so as manufacturers are constantly developing new technology aimed at increasing office productivity. Today’s software is smarter and faster than anything that hit the marketplace even a year ago. But businesses undermine the competitive edge their new equipment offers when they settle for substandard documentation.
– Quality Manuals User Friendly
Employee perception of office equipment will determine how much or how little they use it. Their opinion of the equipment will depend largely on the initial training and ongoing support they receive.
In technical documentation, there is a widely accepted theory called the “halo effect,” developed by industry leader Karen Schriver. She provided several focus groups with high quality manuals for electronics equipment and asked them for feedback on the product.
The groups praised the product, though they had never actually seen or used it. Schriver dubbed the term “halo effect” to describe how good documentation earned the product a halo in the eyes of the consumer (regardless of whether or not it deserved it).
Whether your new office equipment will be seen as a resource with a halo or an electronic monster will depend largely on the technical documentation the products come with.
When researching equipment, a company’s purchasing department should ask to see the user’s manual. If they are clear and easy to use, it is usually safe to assume employees will make the most of the product.
If you’re already stuck with a useless manual, make use of the company’s toll-free assistance number. Be sure to let the representative know that the documentation was not helpful. This feedback will encourage manufacturers to develop better manuals in the future.
Technical documentation does not have to be another useless item that lines employees’ desk drawers. When properly developed, they can be a valuable office resource by maximizing the productivity of the equipment and saving workers’ time and energy. Both mean bottom line benefits for any office.
Graham is the president and CEO of Manual Labour.
