Technical writing newsletter 25: March 2008
Document status: archived
Business development
High-value services are not impulse purchases. Both purchaser and vendor may need to invest much time in the purchasing process. To help prospective clients achieve a successful outcome, TechScribe takes a structured approach to selling. In the March feature article of the IEEE Professional Communication Society Newsletter (https://procomm.ieee.org), Mike Unwalla explains the rationale. [Editor's note 2012-09-01: the article is not available now.]
Case study
Triangle is a systems integrator and reseller in the hospitality and retail sectors. Triangle extended the functionality of the InfoGenesis point of sale software onto hand-held terminals. For a successful commercial off-the-shelf product, Triangle needed clear documentation for resellers and for trainers, and so came to TechScribe for help.
Professional development
Accreditation with the Society of Indexers is one way for indexers to prove their skills. TechScribe would like to congratulate Sarah Starkey for achieving Accreditation after she indexed Mike Unwalla's research (1989) into computer-based training.
Comment
'Developing the case to invest in service improvements' shows that improving the service desk may not be best way of solving customers' problems. Instead, process improvements are often a better option. Similarly, ensure that your software interface helps people to perform their tasks, rather than being a hindrance. Documentation cannot fix a poor interface design.
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