This presentation was held at the STC Summit 2005 in Seattle. It shows how technical authors, hit by the offshoring of tech comms, can find plenty of work in the machinery business. After all, that business domain is less likely to be offshored and there are many more small machinery companies than global software corporations.

1. Getting your hands dirty
Jang F.M. Graat
IF UnLtd B.V. - Netherlands
What will I tell you ?
What the machinery business is like
Why this business is interesting for us
How to understand machinery people
How to make machinery understood
Why only writing is not enough
Which skills would be really handy

2. How did I get here ?
Studied Physics, Psychology, Philosophy
Decided I could become a programmer
Became a tech writer & trainer instead
Started my own company in 1994
Wrote soft ware manuals, online help
Work in the machinery business now
Where are you ?
Working in the soft ware industry ?
Laid off recently or expecting it soon ?
Afraid of outsourcing or “off-shoring” ?
Not keen on moving toward MarCom ?
Not interested in training or sales ?
Not afraid of noise, dirt and grease ?

3. Machinery Business
through a freelance tech writer’s eyes
True WYSIWYG
If you don’t see it, it is not there
No last-minute cosmetic overhauls
It either works or does not work

4. Real hardware
No hidden features or options
Covers are for safety, not to cover up
Buttons are real, physical, buttons
Real danger
Safety is paramount for machinery
Abuse may cause serious injuries
Manual must show residual dangers

5. Real products
You see what the machine does
Everything has an intended purpose
Malfunctions cost real money
Business Potential
why the machinery business needs tech writers

6. Typical machines...
... are not produced in large numbers
... come in enormous varieties
... are often heavily customized
... need complete documentation
... cannot be moved around easily
Some examples
Shrink-Wrap Conveyor Belt Filter Cutter

7. Some examples
Glue Pump Safety Device
Some examples
Cigarette Maker

8. Typical designers...
... have no time for documentation
... assume everyone is an engineer
... live in a wordless world
Wordless 2D-world

9. 3D-world, still wordless
Typical engineers...
... have no time for documentation
... assume you are better educated
... live in an engineer’s world

10. Reading & Writing
learning the lingo of the machinery business
Learn the jargon
Read manuals of similar products
Ask the engineer (when he has time)
Check out “howstuff works.com”
Watch stuff on Discovery Channel
Browse engineering magazines
Read engineering primers

11. Learn to “read”...
... 2D and 3D assembly drawings
... common design principles
... technical construction documents
... 3rd party documentation
... how engineers work & think
Know your audience
Operators
Maintenance staff
Ser vice staff

12. Writing for “dummies”
“What is this button for ?”
“What do I need to do ?”
“How do I do that ?”
Include everyday maintenance
Don’t expect any knowledge
Use photos where possible
Operators, no techies

13. As clear as you can
Simplified diagrams

14. Writing for “techies”
Follow modular machine design
Expect basic technical skills
Do not expect machine knowledge
Don’t include too many details
OK to use technical drawings
Get ser vice engineer to review
Modular design

15. ..
Using images
}
Digital photographs
Rendered 3D models Operators
Technical illustrations
}
Assembly drawings
Pneumatic drawings Ser vice staff
Electrical diagrams

16. 3rd Party Docs
Copies in appendix to ser vice manual
Rewrite important procedures
Check procedures for correctness
Ask for translations on time
Writing is not enough
skills & knowledge that will come in handy

17. Digital photographs
Use a tripod and no flash
Check whether everything is visible
High resolution and little compression
Crop and scale down in Photoshop
Cut the environment where needed
Link into the document
Simplified English
Don’t try to be entertaining
Structure your descriptions
Write for maximum redundancy
Minimize - and define - the jargon
Use Simplified Technical English

18. Safety regulations
Clients often don’t know about them
Good documentation is crucial
Safety notes must not be overdone
ISO 9000 & 14000 and others
CE directives 98/37/EEG and others
Reality check
Don’t take procedures for granted
Engineers have too much knowledge
3rd party docs are usually for techies
Dress to get dirty
When in doubt, ask for help

19. Other services
Bringing in documentation technology
Handling translation outsourcing
Consulting on safety issues
Bringing help docs into the machine
Usability testing of GUI (touchpanels)
Consulting on cool new features
Questions ?
Jang F.M. Graat
jang@jang.nl