Case Study: Point of View

Background

Before Point of View (POV) started working with X-Plain, their business intelligence web portal was marketed mainly in the local market - Israel. User and technician-level documentation was generated mostly in Hebrew by the product department as part of customer training.

As their product became more successful, it was being purchased by international clientele who were more diverse and demanding. With the impending release of a major product version, management realized that the existing documentation must be updated, improved, and standardized. Their carefully designed and developed product had to be complemented by equally professional documentation.

Deliverables
Their new product version had to be supplemented with new and improved deliverables:

• Six volumes of upgraded and standardized user and administrative documentation in PDF format, accessible from the start menu folder.
• A browser-based help system, created from scratch, launched from the application, and used for on-screen help.

Team

The project team included a dedicated project manager and writer.

Process

First, we learned about the product, the target audience, and the type of image POV wanted to project. We designed a uniform template to standardize the look and feel of all documentation. We then documented each procedure and feature, putting the emphasis on task orientation and not merely descriptive documentation. While existing documentation helped in understanding the product, we obtained valuable feedback from interviewing the developers, managers, and marketing personnel, thereby obtaining a well-rounded view of the product’s capabilities, features and benefits. However, our most important tool for documenting the software was hands on use; to experience the product as the end user would experience it.

Conclusion

The new and improved deliverables demonstrated that Point of View is constantly thinking about new ways to invest in customer service and improve the user experience. Customers received a mature product, packaged with comprehensive documentation, resulting in a short learning curve and a smooth transition into a new product.