1.1.8 Describe the importance of user documentation.
Information included with software that delivers instructions on how to properly use a program for its intended purpose.
Is for user assistance with the system, and does not describe its code or how the program was implemented.
Is a part of the overall product delivered to the customer.
Facilitates the interaction of the end user with the system.
Minimum hardware and software requirements
Installation guide
How to start the system
How to use different features of the system
Screenshots explaining main features of the system
Example inputs and outputs
Explanations of error messages and troubleshooting guides
Information to contact the developer of the system if an undocumented question arises
Optimized installation / configuration: Installing and configuring systems may be complicated; poor configuration during the setup process can lead to inefficient use, where the functionality of a system is not maximized.
Effective utilization: Even after installation, bad documentation can result in the end users not knowing how to use the system efficiently. Not using all functions of the system may result in reduced productivity. This can be costly to the company in terms of both time and money.
Shared best practices: Thorough and clear documentation will allow all users of a system to follow best practices for system use.
Reduced dependency: A company will not have to rely on an individual or small group with specific system knowledge because the documentation and tutorials allow for greater accessibility and training.
Faster rate of implementation: The quality of the user documentation improves the rate of implementation and utilization within an organization.
With a tutorial users are guided through a process one step at a time. This is the user friendly method, but it’s not always practical to create a complete tutorial, and more advanced users might find it to be too slow.
With a thematic approach needed, information is grouped according to its subject into chapters or broad topics. This is useful for more intermediate users, and it’s also useful for when certain people only need to know how to use a particular aspect of a problem, not its entire functionality.
With a reference list, every specific topic is given an entry that is usually sorted by alphabetical order. This is not very useful to the novice user as someone would need to know exactly what they are looking for in order to find it, but for an advanced user it’s most effective as they would need to sift through the least information.