Product Support Documentation

A properly designed document can actually save a lot of time & money for its designer and user both!

Indian products are now fast replacing the imported ones. Our products stand the advantages of better design (specially meant for Indian working conditions) and cheaper price. While we are embarking on exports, we should make sure to provide world class support documents!

Foreign products usually are supported by excellent documents that explain their design and use. No wonder these documents are many times preserved with great care for future reference. This aspect gives them a cutting edge over Indian products.

Designing good quality documents is not as difficult or as expensive as it is thought to be. In fact the designing cost will be paid off very soon.

Problems faced because of poorly designed documents:

1. Documents contain vital information that leads to better use of the product and guarantees good returns on the buyer's investment. Many times it happens that only 60% of the product's features are used. Others are never used, primarily because nobody knows they are there, or nobody knows how to use them.
2. Designing information is used to design advanced systems based on the product. Wrong or improper information will lead to faulty system designs. Just providing the information is not sufficient in itself. It has to be presented in an easy to read and easy to understand format.
3. In case a fault develops, the user may not be in a position to locate it and correct it. Worse still, in some cases it becomes difficult to simply communicate the fault to the manufacturer. This leads to more money spent on repairs and increased down times. The manufacturer has to spare technical personnel for handling this problem thus increasing his overheads.
4. Generally end users are given training to handle the product. If a trained person leaves the company or is not available at a crucial time, the things get difficult for the customer.
5. Ultimately name and reputation of the manufacturer gets affected.

Properly designed support documents can avoid all this, at the same time, add to the selling potential of the product.

Product support documents can broadly be classified into two types:

1. Documents meant for manufacturer's internal use: Production documents, Testing documents and Record keeping documents.
2. Documents supplied to the customer (for use outside the company): Brochures, Manuals, Test reports etc.

Let us see what these documents contain.

Documents meant for manufacturer's internal use:

1. Assembly drawings: They show the assembly of the product, and its mechanical details.
2. Circuit diagrams: They show how the circuit functions. Also how it can be modified for incorporating additional features.
3. Board layouts (Silk Screens): Used as a guide for assembling and soldering PCBs.
4. Test charts: Used to check the performance of the circuit and compare to the established standards. Typical waveforms, voltages/ currents values and test points are marked.
5. Servicing manual: Used by the company's engineers for repairs and maintenance purposes.
6. List of spares, Bill of Material: These are used by the stores department and production department.
7. Record of design updates: Maintained by the R & D and production departments.

Documents supplied to the customer:

1. Brochures: Contain technical information about the product which helps in selling the product.
2. User Manuals: Contain information about using the product. It may also contain technical information if required.
3. Instruction Manuals: Usually are non technical type. They are meant for users who are not having technical background. They have information in the easy to understand "How to ___" form. Typical examples are manuals of consumer products like refrigerators.
4. Service and maintenance manuals: If the product's operation is fairly simple, but maintenance is critical, service manuals are supplied. Many times the manufacturer prefers to give these manuals to its team of service engineers only. Typical examples can be Motors, Alternators, Pump sets etc.
5. Reference manuals: If the product is very complex and consisting of different identifiable components, then some part of technical information which is not daily used is separated in a reference manual. e.g. Special Purpose Machines
6. Programmers Guide: If the product is of "Programmable type" then a separate programmers guide is supplied along with the standard user guide. Sometimes this part is incorporated within the 'User Manual'.
7. Designer's guide: If the product is always used as a part of a complex system, then complete technical information has to be given which will help engineers to design the systems. Designer's guides are published separately (also sometimes charged a nominal price) e.g. Microcontroller cards, Add on cards, PLCs etc.

The choice of the type depends on the information that has to be supplied. The document can also be a combination of the above e.g. Instruction and service manual

The design of the document is influenced by a number of factors:

1. Product related:

• Cost of the product: Low unit cost may limit the information you wish to give.
• User Friendliness: More the user friendliness (and ergonomically better design) of the product, less will be the burden on the document to carry the information.
• Dimensions of the product: Many times the manual is packed along with the product in the same box. Sometimes the product size is odd and manuals are standardized to be of A4 size. The style in which the name is written on the product and on the manual has to be same for easier identification (product packaging is another specialized field in itself).

2. User related:

• User's level of understanding:The language and format of presentation will depend on whether the user is having technical background. Illustrations and figures should be specifically used if users are not literate. Technical user can understand technical drawings and 'technical jargon'.
• User's expectation of details: A qualified and experienced user will push the product to its limits. He may ask for some highly complex and technical information about the product which others won't. Such power users may actually change the features of your product and will give you valued suggestions for improving its design.

3. Other factors:

• Manufacturer's standards: If you are abiding to any quality standard, certain things like document number, release date etc. have also to be given. The paper used,printing quality has also to support your image in the market place.
• Location of users: You may need to give different manuals to user within and outside the country.
• Conditions of sale: The sales contract may put a binding clause on you to give circuit diagrams, list of spares etc.
• Competition: You ultimately have to survive in the marketplace. So you have to make sure that the documents are at least up to the industry standard.

Designing brochures for your product!

• Decide which is the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of your product and highlight it in the brochure.
• Work out a unique easy to remember model number for your product. This will greatly enhance its identity.
• Make a number of rough sketches of the brochure considering different sizes and type of inputs.
• Copy write the matter. Give it for checking to your own people and if possible to one of your client!
• Determine the size of the brochure. A4 is standard. It is easy to file and store. You may also use a size that is increasingly becoming popular now the 'envelope size'.
• Ideally put a photograph of the product on the first page. If not possible, then give a line diagram of the front panel.
• If you are going to submit a bunch of brochures together, you should consider designing a decent folder for them.
• Choice of color and quantity will depend on your budget. A higher quantity will make color printing economical.
• Make sure that the design is xerox-friendly i.e. when xeroxed, no information will be lost. This happens because of choice of light shades of color. A commercial artist or a printer will give you better ideas about it.
• If you want to distribute as handouts (at an exhibition), a brochure giving details of the entire range of your products will also be useful.

The brochure has to give following information:

1. Advantages of the products: Should be used as eye-catchers
2. Technical specifications: Standard specifications and optional ones both have to be covered.
   • Mechanical dimensions
   • Electrical specifications
   • Environmental specifications
3. Ordering information: You have to tell the customer what parameters he has to specify to place an order. If possible build an easy to understand ordering code.
4. Operating principle and features: These have to be discussed in brief (if required in detail).
5. Performance characteristics: A Performance graph can better illustrate the advantages of using the product
6. Information about the accessories to the product: If you can supply a flameproof enclosure or a tool box etc.
7. Information about input output devices: If your product needs any transducer at the input, a hooter for giving emergency alarm etc. Write clearly whether you can supply this also!
8. Exhaustive list of applications: List of your products can help to increase the sales, at the same time projecting a right picture of your products profile.
9. Address for correspondence: Your address and the address of your area representative who has to be contacted for getting more details or for placing an order.

   A document number and release date has to be mentioned of you are pertaining to standards like ISO. You should also specify whether this product replaces its earlier versions and whether the earlier versions are now discontinued!

Highlight if your product is quality tested by any of the standard labs or is certified by any standardizing authority (e.g. Department of Telecommunications etc.).

Before reading the copy for correction, allow yourself a gap of two days. This will give you settling time, enough to locate mistakes when you read it for the second time.

After checking the matter at least twice go for printing.

Designing a manual for your product!

First decide what kind of manual you wish to give to your customer (discussed earlier in the article).

• What information is going to be supplied
• What kind of information is not going to be supplied.
• Whether you want to make manual for single product or a common one for family of products.
• Determine the size of the manual. A5 is easy to store and handle. You may wish to select a size that allows packing the manual with the product in the same box.
• On the opening page write,

  Name of the document

  Name of the product (or family of product)

  Name and address of your company

  Front panel drawing of your product or photograph

• A cover design done by a commercial artist can be very attractive. You can design a similar looking cover format for all your manuals.
• The cover page can be printed in color. The entire manual does not require color printing unless some illustrations/ photographs justify the cost.
• Copy write the matter. Give it for checking to your own people and if possible to your clients!

The manual can contain following information:

1. Principle of operation: Should be explained in the very first chapter to make the user acquainted with the product.
2. Product specifications: Exhaustive list of specifications has to be covered. Clearly mentioning the optional ones. Specifications should cover
   i) Mechanical dimensions 
   ii) Electrical specifications
   iii) Environmental specifications
3. If the manual is written to cover a family of products, clearly mark the differences between the individual features here. Provide check boxes for optional features.
4. Construction and operation: This has to be discussed in detail showing positions of controls, switches and indications. This chapter will perhaps be the biggest one. If some information can be separated as reference information, put it separately in the form of Appendix at the end. This will help you to keep chapter size small.
5. Precautions: This should be mentioned in a separate chapter and also has to be repeated at other place if needed.
6. Fault diagnosis: You must clarify whether or not you encourage the user to do troubleshooting himself! Mark the points which need the unit to be opened (opening unit violates the warranty statement in many cases).
7. Circuit diagram and its description: A few companies haven a practice of not giving the circuit diagrams in the manual.

Make the manual user friendly. Help them in locating the information faster by including:

1. Typographical conventions: User should be able to clearly differentiate between the information given by you and prompts appearing on the display of the unit or on screen of a computer etc. Usually to do this different font and styles of characters are used. In the beginning of the manual you can explain this, giving samples. Here you can also give full forms of abbreviations used in the manual.
2. About the manual: You should in detail explain the format of manual if number of pages exceed fifty. This will help the reader in knowing what information he will get from the manual and how he should read the manual (cover to cover, jumping between the points or in any other way)
3. Table of contents: A well indented TOC will help user to go to any point quickly. A list of figures, tables (and screen shots) will make it complete.
4. Indexing: It should be done if the manual has more than hundred pages or so..
5. Cross references: Whenever needed you should give cross-references of relevant points covered elsewhere in the manual.
6. Notes and warnings: Important points should be put forward in the form of notes and warnings wherever required.
7. Give illustrations: Procedures are difficult to understand in text form. Illustrations can show things clearly e.g. how to make connections, how to mount the unit, how to open the unit etc. These will make the manual more readable and attractive. In fact to make the reader feel friendly, you can also include cartoons in it.

Add value to your manual:

1. Frequently asked questions: You can make a list of questions asked to you by your customers, and include them along with their answers in the manual. These are nowadays called as frequently asked questions (FAQs). This will allow you to give some advanced information about your product which is not suitable to be placed anywhere else.
2. Glossary of terms: If you are using technical terms in abundance then you should also give their meanings in the context of your product.
3. Theory and calculations: You can include important theory in your manual to make it complete. A tutorial or sample calculation will help the user to learn and master calculations (if they are required to be done).
4. Easy to refer information: In general people do not open books and read again and again. So think of something like paste-up chart or a quick reference guide (tear out type) that can help them.
5. Add reference information: Some information like look up tables, conversion formulae can be included as a reference material.

Boosting your identity:

1. Company name: Give the name of you company and addresses of area offices (representatives) on back cover.
2. Company philosophy: It will help in building image of your company
3. Products list: Products list will increase the chances of getting more orders from the same client (provided he is satisfied with present product)
4. Parameter record sheets: You may also make a format for recording readings / calculations or any other information and include it in the manual. The user will find it convenient to make photocopies and use them. These will be a free advertisements for you

Decrease your paperwork:

1. Warranty/ test certificate: Including the warranty certificate / test certificate in the manual itself. This will also ensure that the manual will be handled and preserved properly.
2. Give list of items packed: If your product is a standard one having standard fittings and accessories, you can make a list under an "As you unpack, note that you find following..." and include it in the packing. If possible include it in the manual. Such a note will immediately let the client know if any item is missing (or is extra)!

Give a document number and release date if you are pertaining to quality standards like ISO.

If your product is being marketed over large geographic areas and by a number of representatives, you can keep track of each unit sold by including a customer record mail-back form in the manual.

Ask for feedback on your product and support. Revise the manual whenever the product is revised.