Technical Instructions, User Manuals & Standard Operating Procedures PDF

TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS, USER MANUALS & STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES Chapter 13: Technical Communication Process and Product WHY WRITE AN INSTRUCTION? 2.CRITERIA FOR WRITING INSTRUCTIONS 2.1 Audience Recognition Although many high‐tech readers might be able to follow these instructions, m...

TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS, USER MANUALS & STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES Chapter 13: Technical Communication Process and Product WHY WRITE AN INSTRUCTION? 2.CRITERIA FOR WRITING INSTRUCTIONS 2.1 Audience Recognition Although many high‐tech readers might be able to follow these instructions, many more readers will be confused. The key to success as a writer of instructions is the following: Don’t assume anything. Spell it all out—clearly and thoroughly 2.2 ETHICAL INSTRUCTIONS  Legalities in User Manuals  Practicalities in User Manuals To avoid issues of liability, your Ethical writing doesn’t just keep communication must identify the customers safe. It also satisfies potential for harm. your customer’s need for up‐to‐ date information, and that’s just Clearly stated hazard notations, good business warranties, and disclaimers allow you to warn your audience of Revise the manuals, bringing potential dangers and to set them up to date. Doing so is a limits and exceptions for product company’s ethical responsibility to guarantees. its customers. By doing so, you adhere to your legal responsibilities to the company and to the client COMPONENTS OF INSTRUCTIONS  COMPONENTS OF INSTRUCTIONS  Title Page: Preface your instruction with a title page that consists of the topic about which you are writing, the purpose of the instruction, and a graphic depicting your product or service. E.g. iPod vs Operating Instructions for iPod  Safety Requirements: Place safety requirements anywhere throughout your text. If a particular step presents a danger to the reader, call attention to this hazard just before asking the reader to perform the step.  Access: Make the hazard notations obvious. To do so, vary your typeface and type size, use white space to separate the warning or caution from surrounding text, box the warning or caution, and call attention to the hazards through graphics.  COMPONENTS OF INSTRUCTIONS  Definitions: What does caution mean? How does it differ from warning, danger, or note? 1. Note. Important information, necessary to perform a task effectively or to avoid loss of data or inconvenience. 2. Caution. The potential for damage or destruction of equipment. 3. Warning. The potential for serious personal injury. 4. Danger. The potential for death  COMPONENTS OF INSTRUCTIONS  Colors: Emphasize your hazard message through a colored window or text box around the word. Usually, Note is printed in blue or black, Caution in yellow, Warning in orange, and Danger in red.  Text : A one‐ or two‐word identification alerting the reader. The consequences of the hazards, in three to five words & Avoidance steps  Icons: Your hazard alert should contain an icon—a picture of the potential consequence—to help everyone understand the caution, warning, or danger.  Table of Contents  COMPONENTS OF INSTRUCTIONS  Introduction Introduction should be reader‐friendly and seek to achieve audience recognition and audience involvement. The manuals try to reach customers in a personalized way. Look at the following introduction from a user manual:  COMPONENTS OF INSTRUCTIONS  Glossary: Define your abbreviations, acronyms, or technical terms (anywhere throughout) at the end of manual in alphabetical order  Required Tools or Equipment: What tools or equipment will the audience need to perform the procedures? Provide this important information either through a list or graphics depicting the tools or equipment necessary to complete the tasks.  Instructional Steps: The most important part of your manual— the actual actions required of the audience to complete a task. Follow the following steps:  ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS  Technical descriptions  Warranties: Warranties/disclaimers protect the customer and the manufacturer.  Accessories Other products you might want to sell  Frequently asked questions: Common consumer concerns can be addressed immediately. This will save your company time and money while improving customer relations  Corporate contact information: Ways (number/address) your audience could contact the company with questions or requests for more information  GRAPHICS  Clarify your points graphically. Use drawings, photographs, and screen captures that are big, simple, clear, keyed to the text, and labeled accurately. Collaboration to Create User Manuals Instructional Videos  STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP)  A common form of instruction in many scientific and technological field  A set of written instructions that documents routine or repetitive technical or administrative activities followed by business and industry  Ensure accurate job performance and consistent quality and integrity of the end product.  STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP)  Ensure that governmental regulations are followed.  Must be reviewed and enforced by management.  Employees need to reference SOPs for accuracy of procedures, so SOPs must be available as hard‐copy documents and in electronic formats  IMPORTANCE OF SOPS  Calibrate and standardize instruments  Collect lab samples  Handle and preserve food  Analyze test data  Troubleshoot equipment, machinery, and procedures  List mathematical steps to follow for acquiring data and making calculations  Assess hardware and software analytical data COMPONENTS OF SOPS TITLE PAGE. SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY Can be limited to approximately three to five sentences Complex subject matter: can have several paragraph  SUMMARY OF METHOD  Title of people involved  Their roles and duties  Sequence of their involvement  Sequence of activities performed INTERFERENCES  PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS/RESPONSIBILITIE S  This section lists the required experience and certifications of the individuals performing the SOP.  These qualifications can include education, years of experience, courses taken, continuing education hours completed, and more.  Take a look at the example on the next slide EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES  DATA AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT  Calculations to be performed during the procedure  Forms for the reports  Required reports  Reporting intervals  Report recipients  Process to follow for recording and storing data and information generated by the SOP  QUALITY CONTROL AND QUALITY ASSURANCE  Quality control activities help you ensure that you are checking for the highest quality and consistency of the procedure  REFERENCES  Cite the documents or procedures used in or referred to in your SOP.  Include documentation of additional SOPs referenced, literature used for research, and any additional instruction manuals used for reference.  Attach copies of the documents if they are not readily available to your potential audience.  TEST FOR USABILITY 1. Select a test audience 2. Ask the audience to test the instructions 3. Monitor the audience 4. Time the team members 5. Quantify the audience’s responses